Wadden Sea
Main Contributors:
Johanna Yletyinen
Other Contributors:
Summary
The Wadden Sea is a large, relatively flat coastal environment. Strong increases in nutrient concentrations and primary production took place in the Wadden Sea in the late 1970s and 1980s. Indications of hypoxia in Wadden Sea were first observed in 1988. In 1996, large anoxic areas occurred in the East Frisian basin. It is debated whether hypoxia in the Wadden Sea is natural or not, but the signs of eutrophication are clear.
Type of regime shift
Ecosystem type
- Marine & coastal
Land uses
- Fisheries
Spatial scale of the case study
- Sub-continental/regional (e.g. southern Africa, Amazon basin)
Continent or Ocean
- Europe
Region
- Northwest continental Europe
Countries
- Netherlands
- Germany
Locate with Google Map
Key References
-
Colijn C, van Beusekorn J. 2005. Effects of eutrophication of phytoplankton community and growth in the Wadden Sea. In: Wilson, J (Ed.). 2005. THe intertidal Ecosystem: The Value of Ireland's Shores, 58-68.
-
Hoppema J. 1991. The oxygen budget of the western Wadden Sea, The Netherlands. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 32, 483-502.
-
Kaiser J, Lutter S. 1998. Do we have the right strategeis to combat eutrophication in the Wadden Sea? - A critical review of current policies. Senckenbergiana Maritima 29, 17-24.
Citation
Johanna Yletyinen.
Wadden Sea.
In: Regime Shifts Database, www.regimeshifts.org.
Last revised 2011-12-05 08:11:29 GMT.
