Magda Vincx / Steven Degraer

The proposed primary site is situated along the Belgian North Sea coast. All anthropogenic and natural stressors listed below are described relative to the Southern Bight coastal areas.

Industrial pollution: The residual currents along the Belgian coast are northeast oriented. Hence, industrial pollution entering the North Sea via the Westerschelde estuary (e.g. harbour of Antwerp) about 75 km northeast of the site is not influencing the site. Industrial areas are scattered along the whole northern French, Belgian, Dutch and German coastline. The nearest industrial zone to the site is situated in Dunkerque (France), about 20 km southwest of the site, but the impact on the coastal zone is minimal. Relative to other areas within the region, industrial pollution should be regarded as very low.

Agricultural pollution: As for the industrial pollution, major agricultural pollution is discharged by rivers (e.g. Westerschelde). Hence, no major pollution is present at the site. Relative to other areas within the region, agricultural pollution should be regarded as very low.

Mining: No mining activities are present at the site. The nearest sand extraction zone is situated some 10 km north of the site (= outside tidal current influence).

Dumping: No dumping activities are present at the site. The nearest dumping site is found 10 km northeast of the site (= outside tidal current influence).

Dredging: No dredging activities are present at the site. The nearest dredging site is found some 20 northeast of the site (= outside tidal current influence).

According to the municipality services (data 25/09/2001): the total population of the coastal community fringing the site counts 9917 inhabitants on a total surface area of 23.9 km² (= 415 inhabitants/km²). No data on population growth are available. Further expansion of the community into the protected dune area (inshore of the site) is prohibited.

The sewage of the community is partly directly and partly after purification disposed in the Duinkerkevaart. The water of the Duinkerkevaart is lead to Nieuwpoort (some 20 km north of the site) and Dunkerque (France). No sewage disposal takes place at the site.

Because of the numerous shallow sandbanks, no heavy fishing activities are taking place within the area. The only commercial fishing activities are sole fishery (one vessel: beam trawling) and shrimp fishery (small vessels: small beamtrawl) (only seasonal). Non-commercial fisheries consists of extensive line fishery from tourist vessels. No bivalve fishery is present at the site. Relative to other areas within the region, fisheries pressure is regarded to be low.

Tourism activities within the area mainly consists of beach tourism, yachting and sailing, and line fishery. Because of the restricted access to the beach (e.g. dune nature reserve), beach tourism is low compared to other sites along the Belgian coast and mainly consists of hiking. Line fishery from the beach is almost absent. Along the low water line, line fishermen are digging for Arenicola marina as bait. Line fishery from tourist vessels is extensive, since major fishing grounds are found further offshore. Extensive sailing takes place at the site. Tourist activities mainly take place in Summer. According to tourism statistics for De Panne in 2000, a number of 8500 tourist-days/month is observed in Winter, gradually increasing through Spring (35250 tourist-days/month) to peak in Summer (55500 tourist-days/month) and decreasing again in Autumn (10500 tourist-days/month). No information about their activities is available.

The site is composed of a sandy beach - foreshore - sandbank/gully system, which is typical for the soft sediment coastlines from northern France north to Denmark. Former research has shown an average SPM content of 0.08 mg/l and an average salinity of 33.8 PSU, which is typical for the coastal waters of the Southern Bight of the North Sea.

Datasets on physico-chemical environment retrieved from:

Datasets on pollution retrieved from:

Datasets on tourist activities retrieved from:

Retrieved from the National Institute of Statistics of Belgium.

Except for artificial hard substrates (e.g. groins and dykes), littoral as well as sublittoral rocky habitats are absent along the soft-sediment coastline from northern France to northern Denmark. Hence, within the site rocky littoral and sublittoral habitats are only included as artificial hard substrates.

Sands and muds

Because of the high geomorphological and hydrodynamical diversity, a wide variety of soft-sediments is found within the site: tertiary clay layers and from muddy sands to coarse sand and shell banks. The sediments are distributed shallow (e.g. sandbank tops) as well as in deeper waters (down tot -17 m MLLWS). Two offshore places have a depth of little below 0 m MLLWS and are exposed to the air a few times a year.

Except for gravel beds, all types off surface soft-sediments, present at the Belgian Continental Shelf, are found within the site.

A selection of publications on macrobenthos:

• Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters. Summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. OSTC report.
• Degraer, S. & Vincx, M. (1998). Onderzoek naar (1) de ruimtelijke variatie, (2) de seizoenale variatie en (3) de populatie dynamica van het macrobenthos voor de Westkust in functie van de ecologische bijsturing van een kustverdedigingsproject. Eindrapportage van de onderhandse overeenkomst dd. 24.07.1997 i.o.v. de Afdeling Waterwegen en Kust van het ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Departement Leefmilieu en Infrastruktuur, Administratie Waterwegen en Zeewezen, Ghent University.
• Degraer, S., Vincx, M., Meire, P. & Offringa, H. (1999). The macrozoobenthos of an important wintering area of the Common scoter (Melanitta nigra). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K., 79:243-251.
• Degraer, S. (1999). Macrobenthos of shallow marine habitats (Belgian coast) and its use in coastal zone management. Unpublished PhD thesis, Ghent University, Gent.
• Degraer, S., De Neve, L., Mouton, I. & Vincx, M. (1999). Zonation and community structure of the macrobenthos of a macrotidal, ultra-dissipative sandy beach: Summer - Winter comparison. Estuaries, 22(3B):742-752.
• Degraer, S., A. Volckaert & M. Vincx (submitted). Macrobenthic zonation patterns along a morphodynamical continuum of macro-tidal, low tide bar/rip and ultra-dissipative beaches. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.
• Degraer, S., V. Van Lancker, G. Moerkerke, M. Vincx, P. Jacobs & J.-P. Henriet. In prep. Intensive evaluation of the evolution of the a protected benthic habitat: HABITAT. Scientific report 10/2001. Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (OSTC).
• Elliott, B., Degraer, S., Bursey, M. & Vincx, M. (1997). Intertidal zonation of macroinfauna on a dissipative, sandy beach at De Panne (Belgium): A pilot study. Biol. Jaarb. Dodonea 64:92-108.
• Engledow, H., G. Spanoghe, A. Volckaert, E. Coppejans, S. Degraer, M. Vincx & M. Hoffmann (2001). Onderzoek naar (1) de fysische karakterisatie en (2) de biodiversiteit van strandhoofden en andere harde substraten langs de Belgische kust. Final project report (dd. 17.02.2000) commissioned by Coastal Waterways Division, Flemish Community.
• One MSc thesis on sublittoral macrobenthos (Arellano, N.)
• Three licentiate's theses on sandy beach macrobenthos (De Neve, L.; Mouton, I.; Volckaert, A.)
• Two licentiate's theses on sublittoral macrobenthos (Van Hoey, G.; De Rijcke, S.)

Meiobenthos: Nematoda

A selection of publications on nematodes:

• Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters. Summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. OSTC report.
• Heip, C., R. herman, G. Bisschop, J.C.R. Govaere, M. Holvoet, D. Van Damme, C. Vanosmael, K.R. Willems & L.A. De Concinck. 1980. Benthic studies of the Southern Bight of the North Sea and its adjacent continental estuaries. Progress Report I. ICES CM L/9: 133-163
• Heip, C., P.M.J. Herman & A. Coomans. 1982. The productivity of marine meiobenthos. Academiae Analecta, 44:3-20.
• Heip, C., R. Herman & M. Vincx. 1983. Subtidal meiofauna of the North Sea: a review. Biol. Jb. Dodonea, 51:116-170.
• Heip, C., R. Herman & M. Vincx. 1984. Variability and production of meiobenthos in the Southern Bight of the North Sea. Rapp. P-v Réun. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer, 183:51-56
• Heip, C., O. Hamerlynck, P. Herman, R. Huys, M. Vincx & G. Vranken. 1985. Meiobenthos in the Southern Bight of the North Sea. In: Van Grieken R. & R. Wollast (eds.). Progress in Belgian Oceanographic Research: 264-266.
• Heip, C., R. Huys, M. Vincx, A. Vanreusel, N. Smol, R. Herman & P.M.J. Herman. 1990. Composition, distribution, biomass and production of North Sea meiofauna. Neth. J. Sea Res. 26(2-4):333-342.
• Steyaert, M., N. Garner, D. van Gansbeke, M. Vincx. (1999). Nematode communities from the North Sea: environmental controls on species diversity and vertical distribution within the sediment. J Mar Biol Ass UK 79:253-264.
• Vincx, M., 1989. Free-living nematodes from the Southern Bight of the North Sea. Academiae Analecta, Klasse Wetenschappen, 51, 39- 70.
• Vincx, M. & R. Herman. 1989. The influence of the Western Secheldt on the meiobenthos of the Belgian coastal area. In: Pichot, G. (ed.). Progress in Belgian Oceanographic Research 1989. Proceedings of the North Sea Symposium: 283-296.
• Vincx, M., 1990. Diversity of the nematode community in the Southern Bight of the North Sea. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research, 25, 181- 188.
• Vincx, M., Meire, P. & Heip, C., 1990b. The distribution of the nematode community in the Southern Bight of the North Sea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 31, 107- 129.
• Two PhD theses on subtidal meiofauna (Vincx, M. & Herman R.)
• One licentiate's thesis on littoral meiofauna, with emphasis on nematodes (Hoste, E)
• Four licentiate's thesis on sublittoral meiofauna, with emphasis on nematodes (Van Bockstal, M.)

Meiobenthos: Copepoda

• Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters. Summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. OSTC report.
• Govaere, J.C.R., D. Van Damme, C. Heip & L.A.P. Deconinck. 1980. Benthic communities in the Southern Bight of the North Sea and their use in ecological monitoring. Helgoländer Meeresunters., 33:507-521.
• Heip, C., R. Herman & M. Vincx. 1983. Subtidal meiofauna of the North Sea: a review. Biol. Jb. Dodonea, 51:116-170.
• Heip, C., R. Herman & M. Vincx. 1984. Variability and production of meiobenthos in the Southern Bight of the North Sea. Rapp. P-v Réun. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer, 183:51-56
• Heip, C., O. Hamerlynck, P. Herman, R. Huys, M. Vincx & G. Vranken. 1985. Meiobenthos in the Southern Bight of the North Sea. In: Van Grieken R. & R. Wollast (eds.). Progress in Belgian Oceanographic Research: 264-266.
• Heip, C., R. Huys, M. Vincx, A. Vanreusel, N. Smol, R. Herman & P.M.J. Herman. 1990. Composition, distribution, biomass and production of North Sea meiofauna. Neth. J. Sea Res. 26(2-4):333-342.
• Vincx, M. & R. Herman. 1989. The influence of the Western Secheldt on the meiobenthos of the Belgian coastal area. In: Pichot, G. (ed.). Progress in Belgian Oceanographic Research 1989. Proceedings of the North Sea Symposium: 283-296.
• One MSc thesis on subtidal meiofauna, including copepods (Chen, G.)
• Data on copepod species biodiversity and zonation petterns available

Microbenthos: Bacteria

• Some bacterial productivity measurements available
• Data on enrichment experiments available

Zooplankton:

• Belgrano, A., P. Legendre, J.-M. Dewarumez & S. Frontier. 1995. Spatial structure of meroplankton on the Belgian-Dutch coast of the North Sea. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 128:51-59.
• Some more datasets are present at the Free University of Brussels

Phytobenthos:

• One licentiate's thesis on intertidal microphytobenthos (Blondeel, A.)

Phytoplankton:

• Lancelot, C. & S. Mathot. 197. Dynamics of the Phaeocystis-dominated spring bloom in Belgian coastal waters. I. Phytoplanktonic activities and related parameters. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 37:239-248.
• Lancelot, C., G. Billen, A. Sournia, T. Weisse, F. Colijn, M.J.W. Veldhuis, A. Davies & P. Wassman. 1987. Phaeocystis blooms and nutrient enrichment in the continental coastal zones of the North Sea. Ambio, 16:38-46.
• M'harzi, A., M. Tackx, M.H. Daro , I. Kesaulya, R. Caturao & N. Podoor. 1998. Winter distribution of phytoplankton and zooplankton around some sandbanks of the Belgian coastal zone. J. Plankton Res., 20: 2031-2052.

Hyperbenthos

• Beyst, B., D. Buysse, A. Dewicke & J. Mees (in press). Surf zone hyperbenthos of Belgian sandy beaches: seasonal patterns. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci.
• Beyst, B. & J. Mees (submitted). Factors influencing the spatial occurrence of surf zone hyperbenthos of Belgian sandy beaches.
• Beyst, B. 2001. Epi- and hyperbenthic communities of Belgian sandy beaches. PhD thesis, Ghent University, Gent.
• Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters. Summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. OSTC report.
• Dewicke A., Cattrijsse D., Mees J. & M. Vincx, in preparation. Structuring patterns of the hyperbenthos communities of the Belgian and S Netherlands subtidal sandbanks (North Sea).
• Dewicke A., Mees. J., 1996. The hyperbenthic fauna of the Belgian Continental Shelf: spatial variability in community structure. Progress in Belgian Oceanographic Research: 55-58.
• Dewicke A., Beyst, B., Cattrijsse D., Mees J. & M. Vincx, in preparation. Habitat utilization and temporal variability of the hyperbenthos of Belgian coastal waters (North Sea).
• Dewicke A., Beyst B., Van den Eynde, Mees J. & M. Vincx, in preparation. The role of tidal and residual currents in regulating hyperbenthic communities
• Several licentiate's theses on subtidal and intertidal hyperbenthos

Epibenthos

• Beyst, B., K. Hostens & J. Mees (in press). Factors influencing fish and macrocrustacean communities in the surf zone of sandy beaches in Belgium: temporal variation. J. Sea Res.
• Beyst, B., K. Hostens & J. Mees (submitted). Factors influencing the spatial distribution in fish and macrocrustacean communities in the surf zone of sandy beaches in Belgium.
• Beyst, B. 2001. Epi- and hyperbenthic communities of Belgian sandy beaches. PhD thesis, Ghent University, Gent.
• Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters. Summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. OSTC report.
• One licentiate's thesis on subtidal epibenthos (Platteeuw, E.)
• One MSc thesis on subtidal epibenthos (Oyugi, D.)

Avifauna

A selection of publications on avifauna:

• Offringa, H. & P. Meire. Monitoring seaducks in Belgian offshore waters. Wetlands International Seaduck Specialist Group Bulletin 8 : 17-20 (1999).
• Offringa, H. (1997). Vliegtuigtellingen van watervogels op de Noordzee. Winters 1995/96 en 1996/97. Watervogel Nieuws 9, Instituut voor Natuurbehoud, Brussel, p11.
• Offringa, H.; Seys, J.; Van den Bossche, W. & P.Meire. Seabirds on the Channel doormat. De Giervalk 86: 3-71 (1996).
• Offringa, H.; Seys, J.; Van Waeyenberge, J.; Meire, P. (2001). The Belgian marine avifauna. Pp 27-30 in Cattrijsse, A.; Vincx, M. (eds.): Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters: summary data collected between 1970 and 1998. Sustainable Management of the North Sea. Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs: Brussel, Belgium
• Seys J., Meire P.M., Devos K. & Kuijken E. 1993. De Kust- en Vlaamse Banken: ecologisch belang, raakvlakken met andere functies en beheerssuggesties. Rapport IN/93. Instituut voor Natuurbehoud, Hasselt.
• Seys, J. (1999). Watervogels op de Noordzee : vliegtuigtellingen 1998-99. Watervogel Nieuws 11, Instituut voor Natuurbehoud, Brussel, p8.
• Seys, J., H.Offringa, J.Van Waeyenberge, P.Meire & E.Kuijken (1999). Ornithologisch belang van de Belgische maritieme wateren: naar een aanduiding van kensoorten en sleutelgebieden. Nota IN 99/74. 17pp + bijlagen.
• Spanoghe, G. (1999). Aantallen en verspreiding, gedrag en habitatkeuze van meeuwen (Laridae) aan de Vlaamse kust in het winterhalfjaar. Scriptie UG-Biologie.
• Van Waeyenberge, J, Stienen, E. & J. Seys. (2000). Watervogels op de Noordzee : vliegtuigtellingen 1999-2000. Watervogel Nieuws 12, Instituut voor Natuurbehoud, Brussel, p9.
• Van Waeyenberge, J. (1998). Watervogels op de Noordzee : vliegtuigtellingen 1997-98. Watervogel Nieuws 10, Instituut voor Natuurbehoud, Brussel, p7.

Physical environment

• Bastin, A. 1974. Regionale sedimentologie en morfologie van de zuidelijke Noordzee en van het Schelde-estuarium. PhD thesis, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven.

Most publications about time-series are listed above. Only very specific time-series publications are given within this section.

Macrobenthos

• Van Hoey, G., S. Degraer & M. Vincx (In prep). Macrobenthic communities of the Belgian Continental Shelf: data collected over a six-year period re-analysed.

A research project on long-term changes (1970-2001) within the macrobenthos of the Belgian Continental Shelf (including the proposed site) is approved for funding recently. This project will start in December 2001. Furthermore, macrobenthos data from late 19^th and early 20^th century are available at the Belgian Natural Sciences Museum.

Meiobenthos

• Steyaert, M., N. Garner, D. van Gansbeke, M. Vincx. (1999). Nematode communities from the North Sea: environmental controls on species diversity and vertical distribution within the sediment. J Mar Biol Ass UK 79:253-264.
• Vanaverbeke, J., M. Steyaert, W. Bonne & M. Vincx. 2001. Three decades of meiobenthos research on the Belgian Continental Shelf. In: Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx (eds.). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters. Report Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs.

Avifauna

• Datasets on avifauna of the site since '60 are available at the Institute for Nature Conservation

• Macrodat: comprising all macrobenthos data collected since 1975 (Ghent University)
• Excell sheets: meiofauna (nematodes and copepods) (Ghent University)

data available since early '70

• Excell documents: epi- and hyperbenthos (since early '90) (Ghent University)
• MS Access database: avifauna (since '60) (Institute of Nature Conservation)

Several research projects have been and/or are dealing with benthic and avian biodiversity of the Belgian Continental Shelf (including the proposed site): e.g. FWO 3G209492, IMPULS Programma Zeewetenschappen MS/02/080 (120NW492), GOA 12050192, Duurzame ontwikkeling Noordzee MS/02/040 (12DU1397)

Laboratory

Next to the biological subjects (for which the Marine Biology Section is equiped with the best microscopes and a very complete library) also more geochemical characteristics are determined and analysed : grain size of sediments (Coulter Particle Size Analyser), Organic C and N, Nutrients (SKALAR), Pigments (HPLC), Redox profiles of sediments, oxygen. All chemical methods are adapted for analysis within the sediments. Microbial aspects (radio-active labelling) and experimental microcosmos research (culture chambers and respiration chambers) are available.

Boats

Two Belgian research vessels (R/V Zeeleeuw and R/V Belgica) are fully equiped for marine scientific research. The site is within easy reach from three Belgian coastal harbours (max. 2.5 h sailing)

Availability for guest researchers

The research are available for guest researchers, given that these researchers are operating in cooperation with Belgian researchers.

SCUBA diving

Since the Belgian soft-bottom, shallow coastal waters are not appropriate for SCUBA diving (e.g. turbidity), SCUBA diving facilities are not present.

Availability of housing

• Residences of Ghent University
• Flanders Marine Institute