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Concrete is a widely used building material in coastal constructions worldwide. However, limited natural resources used in the production process, as well as high CO2-emission due to the calcination process of limestone and the thermal energy demand for Portland cement clinker production, raise the demand for alternative constituents. Alternative mixture types should be environmentally friendly and, at best, mimic natural hard substrates. Here five different concrete mixtures, containing different cements (Portland cement and blast furnace cements) and aggregates (sand, gravel, iron ore and metallurgical slags) were made. Three replicate cubes (15 × 15 × 15 cm) of each type were then deployed in a German deep-water Port, the JadeWeserPort, to study benthic community establishment after one year. Results are compared to a similar experiment conducted in a natural hard ground environment (Helgoland Island, Germany). Results indicate marked differences in settled communities in the Port site compared to natural environments. At the Port site community composition did not differ with the concrete mixtures. Surface orientation of the cubes (front/top/back) revealed significant differences in species abundances and compositions. Cubes hold more neobiota in the Port site than in natural hard ground environments. Implications for the usage of new concrete mixtures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research revealed distinct changes in ecosystem functions, and thus in ecosystem stability and resilience, caused by changes in community structure and diversity loss. Benthic species play an important role in benthic-pelagic coupling, such as through the remineralization of deposited organic material, and changes to benthic community structure and diversity have associated with changes in ecosystem functioning, ecosystem stability and resilience. However, the long-term variability of traits and functions in benthic communities is largely unknown. By using abundance and bioturbation potential of macrofauna samples, taken along a transect from the German Bight towards the Dogger Bank in May 1990 and annually from 1995 to 2017, we analysed the taxonomic and trait-based macrofauna long-term community variability and diversity. Taxonomic and trait-based diversity remained stable over time, while three different regimes were found, characterised by changes in taxonomic and trait-based community structure. Min/max autocorrelation factor analysis revealed the climatic variables sea surface temperature (SST) and North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOI), nitrite, and epibenthic abundance as most important environmental drivers for taxonomic and trait-based community changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthos has long been recognized as an important factor influencing local sediment stability, deposition, and erosion rates. However, its role in long-term (annual to decadal scale) and large-scale coastal morphological change remains largely speculative. This study aims to derive a quantitative understanding of the importance of benthos in the morphological development of a tidal embayment (Jade Bay) as representative of tidal coastal regions. To achieve this, we first applied a machine-learning-aided species abundance model to derive a complete map of benthos (functional groups, abundance, and biomass) in the study area, based on abundance and biomass measurements. The derived data were used to parameterize the benthos effect on sediment stability, erosion rates and deposition rates, erosion and hydrodynamics in a 3-dimensional hydro-eco-morphodynamic model, which was then applied to Jade Bay to hindcast the morphological and sediment change for 2000–2009. Simulation results indicate significantly improved performance with the benthos effect included. Simulations including benthos show consistency with measurements regarding morphological and sediment changes, while abiotic drivers (tides, storm surges) alone result in a reversed pattern in terms of erosion and deposition contrary to measurement. Based on comparisons among scenarios with various combinations of abiotic and biotic factors, we further investigated the level of complexity of the hydro-eco-morphodynamic models that is needed to capture long-term and large-scale coastal morphological development. The accuracy in the parameterization data was crucial for increasing model complexity. When the parameterization uncertainties were high, the increased model complexity decreased the model performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within this long-term study, the short- and long-term variability of demersal fish and epibenthic species in relation to temperature and climate-driven environmental changes in the inshore tidal bay system of the Jade area was investigated. Semiquantitative sampling took place once per spring and summer period from 1972 to 2014 by using a 2 m beam trawl at one station in the Jade area (German Wadden Sea/southern North Sea). Min/max autocorrelation analysis (MAFA) and Mann-Kendall analysis revealed significant increasing trends in total abundance and species number. Homogeneity analysis revealed shifts for abundance in spring and summer in the late 1980s and for species number in the late 1980s in spring and early 2000s in summer. Abundances of the estuarine crustacean species Carcinus maenas and Liocarcinus holsatus and of the estuarine fish species Pomatoschistus spp. showed significant increasing abundances since the late 1980s. The marine juvenile species Pleuronectes platessa and Limanda limanda showed significant decreasing abundances, while abundances of Solea solea showed significant increasing abundances since the early 2000s. Abundances of L. holsatus and C. maenas showed mass occurrences since the early 2000s. Spearman correlation analysis revealed significant correlations of temperature and abundance data of some characteristic species. Statistical downscaling analysis revealed significant correlations between observations and climate indicators such as the North Sea Environmental (NSE) Index for spring. Thus, it appears that climate effects influenced the long-term variability of species number and abundance of epibenthic and demersal fish species in the Jade area, resulting in community shifts in the late 1980s and early 2000s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regime shifts may cause an intrinsic decrease in the potential predictability of marine ecosystems. In such cases, forecasts of biological variables fail. To improve prediction of long-term variability in environmental variables, we constructed a multivariate climate index and applied it to forecast ecological time series. The concept is demonstrated herein using climate and macrozoobenthos data from the southern North Sea. Special emphasis is given to the influence of selection of length of fitting period to the quality of forecast skill especially in the presence of regime shifts. Our results indicate that the performance of multivariate predictors in biological forecasts is much better than that of single large-scale climate indices, especially in the presence of regime shifts. The approach used to develop the index is generally applicable to all geographical regions in the world and to all areas of marine biology, from the species level up to biodiversity. Such forecasts are of vital interest for practical aspects of the sustainable management of marine ecosystems and the conservation of ecosystem goods and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first interdisciplinary analysis (biological and sedimentological) of macrofauna communities influenced by long-term morphodynamics of shoreface-connected ridges in the German Bight on a small scale is presented in this study. The study area covering 4 km 2 was located off the island of Spiekeroog, in an area known as a Tellina fabula community. Sediment samples taken at 27 sample sites were coupled with side-scan sonar data to draw a precise sediment map of the area, as well as with high-resolution multi-beam bathymetry data to understand the morphodynamic changes of the seabed between 2003 and 2010. The macrofauna data acquired at the same 27 sites were analysed for community structure using non-metric multidimensional scaling, the ANOSIM and PERMANOVA tests. Correlations between biological and environmental variables were examined with the BIOENV procedure. The study revealed a shore-parallel sediment zonation with clear and sharp borders induced by local morphodynamics, which together with specific local bathymetry affected the formation of three different macrofauna affinity groups. One group was located on the shoreface and in the troughs (dominant species: Scoloplos armiger , Lanice conchilega , Notomastus latericeus ), one on the landward flanks of the ridges (dominant species: Aonides paucibranchiata , Goniadella bobretzkii ), and one on the ridge crests (dominant species: Ophelia spp. juv., Spio goniocephala ). The spatial distribution of the affinity groups, their taxa number and abundance of species was dependent on a surface sediment pattern resulting from local hydrodynamics, which in turn is known to influence the food availability. A seaward steepening of ridges took place and was an effect of erosion up to 0.34 m on landward flanks in and accumulation up to 0.29 m on seaward flanks in seven years. The studied shoreface-connected ridges migrated seawards with a pace of 5 m/year for the large ridge and 20 m/year for the small ridge. Elongated mud-pockets were common in the deepest parts of the troughs, but seemed to be unstable in time. The identified general seaward migration of shoreface-connected ridges seemed to be slow enough for the macrofauna communities to migrate with the morphodynamics of the ridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During ‘Meteor’ expedition ‘DIVA 2’ in 2005 the abyssal macro- and megafauna communities were studied in the northern Cape Basin, in the northern Angola Basin and in the eastern and western Guinea Basin. Water depths varied between 5040 and 5670m. Surface deposit feeding or predatory ophiuroids dominated the megafaunal community in the northern Cape Basin, sponges, sipunculids and fish in the northern Angola Basin, and asteroids, crustaceans and fish in the eastern Guinea Basin, while in the western Guinea Basin sipunculids dominated. In the northern Cape Basin, peracarid crustaceans were the dominant macrofaunal group, followed by polychaetes and bivalves. In the Guinea Basin, polychaetes, peracarid crustaceans and bivalves dominated, although omnivorous or predatory free-living nematodes of macrofaunal size (>0.5mm) made up 40–60% of the total abundance, with maxima in the western basin. The chlorophyll a content of sediments was lower in the northern Cape and Angola Basins than in the Guinea Basin, which was consistent with the differences in water masses, primary production and flux rate of organic matter in the three basins of the South-East Atlantic. The differences in structure and function of the macro- and megafauna communities in the three basins correlated with the differences in the amount of food reaching the seafloor in tropical and subtropical settings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The interdependence between groundfish assemblages and habitat properties was investigated on the Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Abiotic habitat parameters considered included topography, hydrographic conditions, sediment composition, and the biotic habitat variable the prevailing benthic invertebrates. Distinct epi- and infauna communities occurred at different locations on the Dogger Bank. Fish assemblages were clearly linked to both the biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics. Overall, fish and benthic communities revealed similar spatial distribution, represented in the respective clusters of characteristic and abundant species. Distribution patterns corresponded with the prevailing abiotic conditions such as depth and sediment composition, which appear to relate to autecological preferences of individual species. The apparently most generalist species, grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) and dab (Limanda limanda) occurred at all stations and dominated in terms of biomass in most cases. The absolute numbers of grey gurnards were related to the abundance of suitable prey, invertebrate and fish species, which stomach analyses revealed as part of the diet in an independent study during the same research cruise. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) were only abundant at deep stations along the flanks of the bank. The occurrence of lemon sole (Microstomus kitt), American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) and cod (Gadus morhua) was also positively correlated with depth, whereas especially lesser weever (Echiichthys vipera), sandeel species and solenette (Buglossidium luteum) occurred predominantly at the shallower sites. At the same time, individual fish species such as solenette and lesser weever were associated with high densities of selected epi- or infauna species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Several ecosystem components in the North Sea have undergone fundamental changes following climatic change and this paper aims to establish if these changes also have affected macrofauna communities in the southern North Sea. From 1978 to 2005, the macrofauna communities were sampled seasonally in the sublittoral zone off the island of Norderney, one of the East Frisian barrier islands. Abundance, biomass and species numbers of single species or larger taxonomic groups showed differences in long-term variability and eurytherm species dominated in the study area. After the cold winter of 1978/79 until the mid 1980s a higher percentage of arctic-boreal species were found, while after 1988 the percentage of species with a southern distribution in the North Sea increased in connection with a smooth biological regime shift and a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Interface-feeders dominated the communities, followed by sand lickers and subsurface deposit-feeders. The latter were more abundant after cold winters, probably due to their ability to utilise dead buried faunal organic matter. Multivariate analyses revealed that cold winters affected the community structure more briefly, while a smooth biological regime shift in 1989/1990 and a climate regime shift induced abrupt biological regime shift in 2001/2002 caused longer-term progressive change in the macrofauna community structure. The significant correlation between macrofauna abundance, biomass and species number and the NAO index failed until 2001 due to a change in climate systems over the northern Atlantic hemisphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The comparison of three different macrofauna studies from the 1930s, 1970s and 2009 conducted in the Jade Bay revealed pronounced temporal and functional changes in community structure over eight decades. We focus on species composition, abundance, community structure and spatial extent in the intertidal area of the Jade Bay (Wadden Sea Lower Saxony, southern North Sea). Species inventory increased from 65 taxa in the 1930s to 83 in the 1970s to 114 taxa in 2009 caused by cryptogenic species and immigrations by species of assumed non-native origin. On the mudflats, a strong increase of the oligochaete Tubificoides benedii was observed between the 1930s and 2009, while the abundance of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana and the amphipod Corophium volutator decreased. The mobile amphipod Bathyporeia sarsi and the tube-building polychaete Pygospio elegans, dominant species for sandflats and mixed sediments in the 1930s, had greatly decreased in numbers in the 1970s and were still low in abundance in 2009. Bivalve species standing stocks declined in 2009, compared to the 1930s and 1970s. In the 1970s, an increase in the capitellid polychaete Heteromastus filiformis abundance was noted for the whole intertidal, but declined strongly in 2009. The seagrass bed area decreased by about 50% from the 1930s to the 1970s, but increased threefold since the 1970s. Assuming that cold winters, eutrophication and pollution effects mainly contributed to these changes in community structure between the 1930s and 1970s, climate warming, decreasing nutrient loads and species introductions are more likely for the temporal changes in the macrofauna communities between the 1970s and 2009. In addition, it is suggested that in the Jade Bay a higher sediment accumulation rate outpaced the rate of rising sea level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The macrofauna communities on the Dogger Bank (North Sea) from the 1920s, the 1950s and the 1980s to the 2000s were compared and identified five communities with similar spatial distribution throughout the 20th century. The abundance of dominant species in the five communities varied with time. Most obvious in the 1950s was the loss of the extensive Spisula and Mactra patches, which covered most of the shallow parts of the Bank in the 1920s. Since the 1980s, they have been found only as juveniles. The biological regime shift in the late 1980s caused an increase in macrofauna abundance, species numbers, diversity and southern species in most of the communities. The climate regime shift in 2001 had opposite effects in which the abundance, species numbers, diversity and southern species decreased in most of the communities. The increase in interface-feeding species and the decrease in sand-licking amphipods in the 2000s especially in the shallow Bank Community give evidence for climate driven changes in water masses, currents, storms, turbidity and food availability via planktonic or benthic primary production. Both fishing impact and climate change are hypothesised as explaining the changes in the Dogger Bank macrofauna communities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The North Sea Benthos Project 2000 was initiated as a follow-up to the 1986 ICES North Sea Benthos Survey with the major aim to identify changes in the macrofauna species distribution and community structure in the North Sea and their likely causes. The results showed that the large-scale spatial distribution of macrofauna communities in the North Sea hardly changed between 1986 and 2000, with the main divisions at the 50 m and 100 m depth contours. Water temperature and salinity as well as wave exposure, tidal stress and primary production were influential environmental factors on a large (North Sea-wide) spatial scale. The increase in abundance and regional changes in distribution of various species with a southern distribution in the North Sea in 2000 were largely associated with an increase in sea surface temperature, primary production and, thus, food supply. This can be most likely related to the North Sea hydro-climate change in the late 1980s influenced by the variability in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Only one cold-temperate species decreased in abundance in 2000 at most of the stations. Indications for newly established populations of offshore non-native species were not found. Differences in macrofauna community structure on localised spatial scales were predominantly found north of the 50 m depth contour off the British coast along the Flamborough Head Front towards the Dogger Bank, off the coast of Jutland and at the Frisian Front. These changes were most likely attributed to stronger frontal systems in 2000 caused by the increased inflow of Atlantic water masses in relation to the hydro-climate change in the late 1980s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Benthic epifauna was sampled in an area of 10 × 10 nautical miles in the German Bight. Samples were taken in January and July/August from 1998 to 2009. The ecological functioning of the epifaunal community was assessed using biological traits analysis (BTA). Twelve ecological traits of 26 epifaunal species were considered and analysed using non-metric multidimensional scaling (nmMDS). Anomalies in the sea surface temperature (SST) close to the study area were mainly above the long-term mean during the study period. SST was exceptionally high during the autumn months between 2002 and 2006. Additionally, the cold winter of 1995-96 was clearly reflected in strong negative SST anomalies. Trait composition changed in 2002, mainly due to a decreasing trend of traits related to an opportunistic life mode from 1998-2002. Traits related to reproduction showed a much clearer response to the high autumn SST anomalies from 2002 to 2006 than other traits. We concluded that the cold winter resulted in an increase in opportunistic species in the study area followed by characteristic post-disturbance succession stages to the point of an established community in 2002. This indicates a recovery time of epifaunal communities in the German Bight of 7-8 years. Additionally, the results give evidence that climate-induced variability of SST in the German Bight affects mainly the reproduction of epifaunal species rather than other traits such as feeding type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catching efficiency of a standard 2-m beam trawl for sampling epifauna was estimated by removal experiments at two sites in the southern North Sea. In order to allow repeated sampling of the same area, a rig of three beam trawls one behind the other was constructed, the three being tied together by steel ropes. Catching efficiency was estimated on the basis of the sum of the catches of all three trawls relative to the numbers caught in the first trawl. The catching efficiency of the beam trawl for epifauna ranged from 36% to 44% of total abundance between sites. Efficiency was least for partly buried species (Liocarcinus holsatus, 9% and 18%; Buglossidum luteum, 27%; Arnoglossus laterna, 35%), and slightly better for species living on the surface of the sediment (Asterias rubens, 42% and 46%; Pomatoschistus minutus, 58% and 46%; Pagurus bernhardus, 51%). The abundance of epifauna will be underestimated by a factor of 1.4–11 relative to the abundance in the three trawls. Also, sediment type seems to influence the catching efficiency of the beam trawl, efficiency being less at the sandy study site than at the muddy site for most species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Infaunal communities were studied on a monthly scale from September 2000 until May 2002 in order to investigate their seasonal variability in different areas of the North Sea: the German Bight, the Oyster Ground and the Dogger Bank. The stations were chosen to reflect a gradient in the hydrographic regime, temperature and organic matter supply. The seasonal variability in mean abundance, diversity and community structure of the infauna was mainly caused by recruitment in spring and summer. It was found to be highest in the German Bight, where fluctuations in environmental parameters were higher than in the Oyster Ground and at the Dogger Bank. Despite the dominant role of recruitment, the seasonal variability of the benthic communities seems to be a result of synergistic effects of numerous factors such as food availability, water temperature, predation and hydrodynamical stress. Among these effects, the input of high quality food to the benthic system seems to be of major importance for the seasonal variability of the benthic communities, since the faunal patterns in the German Bight and the Oyster Ground were correlated significantly with sediment parameters indicating inputs of fresh nitrogen rich organic matter, such as chlorophyll a and C/N ratio (German Bight) and fucoxanthin (Oyster Ground). This role of food quality might be intensified by high bottom water temperatures in areas such as the German Bight, where a mixed water column results in an increase of macrofauna abundance during summer, in contrast to a moderate increase of macrofauna in the Oyster Ground and the Dogger Bank which have a stratified water column. Low water temperatures in winter did not affect the mortality of the juvenile benthic fauna. It is suggested that food limitation and predation pressure caused the decrease in abundance. Thus, depending on the season, a shift from a bottom-up controlled community to a top-down controlled community might be the result at least for the juvenile macrofauna. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Between November 2000 and May 2002, epibenthos was sampled monthly with a 2-m beam trawl at three stations along a transect from the southern German Bight towards the northeastern part of the Dogger Bank (North Sea) in order to investigate the seasonal variability of the epibenthic communities. The stations were chosen to reflect a gradient in the hydrigraphic regime, organic matter supply, and fishing effort. The epibenthic community of the southern German Bight was characterized by high biomass and abundance, dominated by Asterias rubens and Ophiura albida. In contrast, at the northern stations in the Oyster Ground and at the Dogger Bank, epibenthic biomass and abundance were substantially lower and the dominant species were mainly crustaceans such as Corystes cassivelaunus, Liocarcinus holsatus, and Pagurus bernhardus. In terms of seasonal variability, mean abundance and biomass in the southern German Bight showed highest values in the summer months and lowest values in the winter months. A similar pattern, but less distinct, was observed in the Oyster Ground. But at the Dogger Bank the pattern was different, with highest abundance and biomass values in the winter months. The differences in spatial and temporal patterns are discussed in relation to differences in temperature, thermal stratification and fishing effort at the three study sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

During two expeditions with RV 'Meteor' in summer 1993 and winter 1997/ 98 the structural and functional diversity of the benthic system of the highly oligotrophic eastern Mediterranean deep sea was investigated. The macrofauna communities were dominated by polychaetes even at the deepest stations. The fauna at shallow stations was dominated by surface deposit feeders, whereas subsurface deposit feeders and predators generally increased with depth. A high percentage of suspension-feeding Porifera was found in the Levantine Basin. Mean abundance and number of taxa of both expeditions were significantly correlated to depth and distance to the nearest coast as well as to the total organic carbon (TOC) content in sediments. Numbers of taxa and abundance decreased generally with depth, although lowest numbers were not found at the deepest stations but in the extremely oligotrophic Levantine and Ierapetra Basin. Biomass measured during the second cruise was extremely low in the Ierapetra Basin and comparable to other extreme oligotrophic seas. The significant correlations found for TOC contents and macrofauna with distance to coast during both expeditions apparently reflect the role of hydrographically governed transport of organic matter produced in coastal regions into greater and extreme depths of the Mediterranean Sea. Seasonal differences in macrofauna communities due to seasonal differences in food supply were not found. However, recent large-scale hydrographic changes (Eastern Mediterranean Transient, EMT) might change the oligotrophy and, thus, the structure of the benthic communities in the Eastern Mediterranean deep sea. Keywords: Macrofauna; deep sea; eastern Mediterranean; food availability; feeding modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological communities are constantly changing as a response to environmental and anthropogenic pressures. Yet, how changes in community composition influence the structure of food webs over time and space remains elusive. Using ecological network analysis, we assessed how food web structure changed across six distinct areas of the North Sea over a sixteen‐year time‐period. We used multivariate analyses to disentangle and compare spatio‐temporal dynamics in community composition (i.e. changes in species abundances) and food web structure (i.e. changes in network properties). Specifically, we assessed how changes in community composition were reflected in food web structure. Our results revealed a strong spatial coupling between community composition and food web structure along a south–north gradient. However, the temporal covariation between community composition and food web structure depended on the spatial scale. We observed a temporal mismatch at regional scale, but a strong coupling at local scale. In particular, we found that community composition can be influenced by hydro‐climatic events over large areas, with diverse effects manifesting in local food web structure. Our proposed methodological framework quantified and compared spatio‐temporal changes in community composition and food web structure, providing key information to support effective management strategies aimed at conserving the structure and functioning of ecological communities in times of environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study illustrates a baseline biodiversity snapshot of macrofauna inhabiting the seafloor in German marine protected areas (MPAs) if the North and Baltic Seas in 2020–2022, before the full closure for bottom-contact fishing. While the closure is now in place in some MPAs, it is still planned for the near future in others. The analyses included different habitats in nine Natura 2000 MPAs. We provide essential data and comprehensive macrofauna species lists per area, relevant for the joint future conservation efforts and effective management. We explore environmental drivers of community structure and touch upon suggested effects of bottom-contact fishing in both geographic regions. Despite the expectation of more limited connectivity between MPAs in the Baltic Sea compared to the North Sea, the degree of community differentiation between MPAs was higher in the North Sea. Alpha diversity generally increased towards the open North Sea, and gamma diversity seemed comparable for these two regions. The Baltic Sea dataset unexpectedly contained a higher number of taxa, including Red List species. Achieving homogeneity of monitoring data and joint assessment even within one national program and biological compartment between different geographic regions, research institutions and fields remain challenging. This joint work appeals for flexible data sharing and prioritizing informal intersessional communication. Such a baseline is important for assessing future faunal changes. The response of benthic habitats and organisms to bottom-contact fishing intensity is investigated in marine protected areas (MPAs) of the German EEZ in the North and Baltic Seas. We examined the current state of macrofauna biodiversity in 2020–2022. Comparative analysis for macrofauna (in- and epifauna) inhabiting nine Natura 2000 MPAs constitutes a baseline to assess the effects of bottom-contact fishing exclusion in the future. Aspects of spatial and temporal variability are briefly summarized and discussed. We provide a species list for each region, including 481 taxa, of which 79 were found in both regions, 183 only in the North Sea, and 219 only in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea dataset surprisingly included higher numbers of taxa and revealed more Red List species. The share of major taxonomic groups (polychaetes, bivalves and amphipods) in species richness showed peculiar commonalities between the two regions. In the North Sea, multivariate analysis of community structure revealed significantly higher within-similarity and stronger separation between the considered MPAs compared to the Baltic MPAs. Salinity, temperature and sediment fractions of sand were responsible for over 60% of the variation in the North Sea macrofauna occurrence data. Salinity, mud fraction and bottom-contact fishing were the most important drivers in the Baltic Sea and, together with other considered environmental drivers, were responsible for 53% of the variation. This study identifies aspects of macrofauna occurrence that may be used to assess (causes of) future changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecology aims to comprehend species distribution and its interaction with environmental factors, from global to local scales. While global environmental changes affect marine biodiversity, understanding the drivers at smaller scales remains crucial. Tidal flats can be found on most of the world's coastlines and are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. They are important transient ecosystems between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and their biodiversity provides important ecosystem services. Owing to this unique, terrestrial–marine transition, strong environmental gradients of elevation, sediment composition and food availability prevail. Here, we investigated which regional and local environmental factors drive the spatio‐temporal dynamics of macrozoobenthos communities on back‐barrier tidal flats in the East Frisian Wadden Sea. On the regional level, we found that species composition changed significantly from west to east on the East Frisian islands and that total abundance and species richness decreased from west to east. On the local abiotic level, we found that macrozoobenthos biomass decreased with higher elevation towards the salt marsh and that the total abundance of organisms in the sediment significantly increased with increasing mud content, while biodiversity and biomass were not changing significantly. In contrast to expectations, increasing Chl a availability as a measure of primary productivity did not result in changes in abundance, biomass or biodiversity, but extremely high total organic carbon (TOC) content was associated with a decrease in biomass and biodiversity. In conclusion, we found regional and local relationships that are similar to those observed in previous studies on macrozoobenthos in the Wadden Sea. Macrozoobenthos biomass, abundance and biodiversity are interrelated in a complex way with the physical, abiotic and biotic processes in and above the sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Wadden Sea macrozoobenthos has access to food sources of different quality. In addition to microphytobenthos (MPB) and macroalgae (e.g. Fucus vesiculosus Linnaeus, 1753), the invasive C 4 grass Spartina anglica C.E. Hubbard has become an abundant primary producer in the Wadden Sea. To elucidate the role of different primary producers for the nutrition of typical Wadden Sea consumers, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with four food treatments (S. anglica , F. vesiculosus , MPB and all three resources together) under a simulated tidal cycle. We used consumers of different feeding types—the omnivorous polychaete Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776), the interface-feeding bivalve Limecola balthica (Linnaeus, 1758) and the surface deposit-feeding snail Peringia ulvae (Pennant, 1777)—and analyzed their biomass, δ13C and δ15N stable isotope values and fatty acid (FA) profiles. After 4 weeks, the biomass of H. diversicolor increased in treatments that contained F. vesiculosus , but decreased in the treatment with MPB. δ13C values of H. diversicolor reflected those of the food sources provided and FA profiles varied strongly between the treatments, indicating feeding on copepods and bacteria as well as macrophytes. The biomass of P. ulvae significantly increased in treatments with S. anglica and all three resources. However, δ13C values of P. ulvae differed significantly between the treatments and were unrelated to the food sources except for MPB. FA profiles confirmed the assimilation of MPB in this species. δ13C values and FA composition of L. balthica were similar in each of the treatments and did not resemble the resources provided. Instead, the high proportion of respective marker FAs indicated feeding on plankton. δ15N values of the consumer species declined significantly in the order H. diversicolor > L. balthica > P. ulvae in each of the treatments. These results indicate different strategies in food source use of the three consumer species with the performance of the generalist feeders H. diversicolor and P. ulvae exceeding that of the selective feeder L. balthica. Highlights • Mesocosm experiment reveals diverse strategies in food use of Wadden Sea macrofauna. • Differential response of macrofauna to expanding salt marshes with invasive plants. • Lower competitiveness of L. balthica compared to H. diversicolor and P. ulvae. • Selective feeding of L. balthica on plankton as potential ecological niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the marine realm, climate change can affect a variety of physico-chemical properties with wide-ranging biological effects, but the knowledge of how climate change affects benthic distributions is limited and mainly restricted to coastal environments. To project the response of benthic species of a shelf sea (North Sea) to the expected climate change, the distributions of 75 marine benthic species were modelled and the spatial changes in distribution were projected for 2099 based on modelled bottom temperature and salinity changes using the IPCC scenario A1B. Mean bottom temperature was projected to increase between 0.15 and 5.4 °C, while mean bottom salinity was projected to moderately increase by 1.7. The spatial changes in species distribution were modelled with Maxent and the direction and extent of these changes were assessed. The results showed a latitudinal northward shift for 64% of the species (maximum 109 km; brittle star Ophiothrix fragilis ) and a southward shift for 36% (maximum 101 km; hermit crab Pagurus prideaux and the associated cloak anemone Adamsia carciniopados ; 105 km). The relatively low rates of distributional shifts compared to fish or plankton species were probably influenced by the regional topography. The environmental gradients in the central North Sea along the 50 m depth contour might act as a ‘barrier’, possibly resulting in a compression of distribution range and hampering further shifts to the north. For 49 species this resulted in a habitat loss up to 100%, while only 11 species could benefit from the warming in terms of habitat gain. Particularly the benthic communities of the southern North Sea, where the strongest temperature increase was projected, would be strongly affected by the distributional changes, since key species showed northward shifts and high rates of habitat loss, with potential ramifications for the functioning of the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of ecosystem functioning is essential to describe the ecological status of ecosystems and is therefore directly requested in international directives. There is a lack of knowledge regarding functional aspects of benthic communities and their environmental and anthropogenic driving forces in the southern North Sea. This study linked functional composition of epibenthic communities to environmental conditions and fishing effort and investigated spatial correlations between habitat characteristics to gain insight into potential synergistic and/or cumulative effects. Functional composition of epifauna was assessed by using biological trait analysis (BTA), which considered 15 ecological traits of 54 species. Functional composition was related to ten predictor variables derived from sediment composition, bottom temperature and salinity, hydrodynamics, annual primary production and fishing effort. Our results revealed significantly different functional composition between the Dogger Bank, the Oyster Ground, the West and North Frisian coast. Mobility, feeding type, size and adult longevity were the most important traits differentiating the communities. A high proportion of trait modalities related to an opportunistic life mode were obvious in coastal areas especially at the West Frisian coast and in the area of the Frisian Front indicating disturbed communities. In contrast, functional composition in the Dogger Bank area indicated undisturbed communities with prevalence of large, long-lived and permanently attached species being sensitive towards disturbance such as fishing. Tidal stress, mud content of sediments, salinity, stratification and fishing effort were found to be the most important habitat characteristics shaping functional composition. Strong correlations were found between variables, especially between those which changed gradually from the coast to offshore areas including fishing effort. Unfavourable extremes of these factors in coastal areas resulted in disturbed epibenthic communities, while the relative influence of a single factor on functional composition cannot be quantified. Coastal communities seemed to be well adapted to disturbance and the prevalence of opportunistic trait modalities not necessarily revealed a poor ecological status according to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The integration of functional aspects into the assessment of ecosystem health is recommended, since widely used structural measures failed in naturally disturbed habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The continuously influence of human impacts on the seafloor and benthic habitats demands the knowledge of clearly defined habitats to assess recent conditions and to monitor future changes. In this study, a benthic habitat dominated by sorted bedforms was mapped in 2010 using biological, sedimentological and acoustic data. This approach reveals the first interdisciplinary analysis of macrofauna communities in sorted bedforms in the German Bight. The study area covered 4 km2, and was located ca. 3.5 km west of island of Sylt. Sorted bedforms formed as sinuous depressions with an east west orientation. Inside these depressions coarse sand covers the seafloor, while outside predominantly fine to medium sand was found. Based on the hydroacoustic data, two seafloor classes were identified. Acoustic class 1 was linked to coarse sand (type A) found inside these sorted bedforms, whereas acoustic class 2 was related to mainly fine to medium sands (type B). The two acoustic classes and sediment types corresponded with the macrofauna communities 1 and 2. The Aoinides paucibranchiata-Goniadella bobretzkii community on coarse sand and the Spiophanes bombyx – Magelona johnstonii community on fine sand. A transitional community 3 (Scoloplos armiger – Ophelia community), with species found in communities 1 and 2, could not be detected by hydroacoustic methods. This study showed the limits of the used acoustic methods, which were unable to detect insignificant differences in the fauna composition of sandy areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Spatial distribution and functional structure of intertidal benthic macrofauna in relation to environmental variables in the Jade Bay (southern North Sea) were studied and compared with other intertidal areas of the Wadden Sea. A total of 128 stations covering the whole Jade Bay were sampled in summer 2009. A total of 114 taxa were found. Highest species numbers occurred in the subtidal areas, whereas highest mean abundances were found in the upper intertidal areas. Based on species abundance data, six significantly distinct macrofauna communities in the Jade Bay were identified and evaluated with multivariate statistics, univariate correlations and canonical correspondence analysis. Differences in these community patterns were caused by the response of the dominant species ( Hydrobia ulvae, Tubificoides benedii, Pygospio elegans, Caulleriella killariensis, Scoloplos armiger, Urothoe poseidonis, Microprotopus maculatus) to prevailing environmental conditions along the gradient from the lower and exposed sandy intertidal areas via intermediate mixed sediments to the upper mudflat areas. Distribution patterns in relation to tidal zonation were best explained by variability in submergence time, Chlorophyll a (chl a) content and sediment composition (mud content), which are proxies for hydrodynamic conditions and food availability. Species inventory and species richness were comparable with other intertidal areas of the Wadden Sea, but the Jade Bay differs from these areas regarding dominant species. Differences in sediment composition and morphological characteristics (macrotidal versus mesotidal Wadden Sea areas) are discussed for comparison of regional differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The non-linear methods “optimally pruned extreme learning machine” (OPELM) and “optimally pruned k-nearest neighbours” (OPKNN) are applied to relate various climate indices to time series of biomass, abundance and species number of benthic macrofauna communities in the southern North Sea for the period 1978–2005. The results of these methods show that the performance in forecasting macrofauna communities is as poor as linear statistical downscaling if only one climate index is used as a predictor. If a multivariate predictor is used, OPKNN shows a good forecast for biomass and species number, but not for abundance. The improvement of the forecast is of major relevance especially in the presence of biological and climate regime shifts which occurred in the considered period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In 1999, 2003 and 2007 macrofauna communities were sampled in three different areas (“Boxes”) of 10×10 nautical miles in the northern North Sea in order to study the temporal changes in community structure in relation to changes in temperature or changes in hydrography. Box D which was influenced by the Fair Isle Current revealed an increase in abundance of sand-licking species between 1999, 2003 and 2007. Significant positive correlations between SST and abundance of characteristic species as well as different feeding types in this mixed water column area seemed to be related to enhanced primary production and SST resulting in higher food supply. Within the East Shetland Basin (Boxes L and M) temporal changes in the macrofaunal communities between 1999 and 2003 were caused by a strong decrease in abundance of surface deposit and suspension feeders which indicated a lower food supply. An increase in abundance of species known for a rapid response to sudden food supply was found in 2007. There is evidence that hydrographic conditions such as stratification and different water masses in this area influence the variability of food supply for the macrofauna and caused changes in community structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Benthic epifauna in three areas of the northern North Sea was studied from 1999 to 2007 to investigate the effect of temperature changes on community structure and species abundance and biomass. Abundance and/or biomass of 16 epifauna species was significantly correlated with temperature anomalies of the mean sea surface temperature (SST) from 1971 to 2000. The response of species to SST changes was different in the study areas depending on species life history and, most likely on food supply, which in turn is strongly influenced by the timing and duration of primary production and regional hydrographical conditions (e.g. stratification). Also, changes in community structure were obvious in the three areas between 2002 and 2003 coinciding with high temperature anomalies and SST. On the other hand, these changes were mainly caused by the variability in abundance of dominant species and altogether no clear trends in community structure were found. In contrast to epifauna communities in the shallow southern North Sea temperature changes in the northern North Sea affected only single epifauna species until now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface sediment characteristics related to benthic microalgae primary production were studied at the Dogger Bank, North Sea, in order to evaluate the potential role of microphytobenthos as a food source for the macrobenthic fauna. Twenty-one stations were sampled in July 2001 and May 2002, with water depth ranging from 16.3 to 68.5 m. High-performance liquid chromatography pigment analyses revealed that concentrations of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c and fucoxanthin are mainly associated with benthic diatom flora at most parts of the Dogger Bank. High percentage of phytopigments (>50%) was firmly attached to sand grains at the stations shallower than 40 m water depth. The deeper stations were characterized by a phytopigment composition originating from pelagic phytoplankton settled on the sea floor. Qualitative microscopy showed that the benthic microflora on top of the Bank mainly consists of small diatoms (5–10 μm), such as e.g., Diploneis spp., living attached to the sand grains. The results are discussed concerning possible implications for ecology and biogeochemistry of the Dogger Bank area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass determination of hermit crabs is difficult without destroying the gastropod shells of the specimens. To minimize the number of animals destroyed in the process of determining this parameter over time, the chela-height vs. body-weight relationship of each of the three hermit-crab species was recorded in different areas of the North Sea. Linear regression was carried out for the species Pagurus bernhardus, P. pubescens, and P. prideauxi, in order to allow calculations of individual biomass on the basis of the chela height of specimens. No spatial differences in the chela-height vs. body-weight relationship were found for single species, whereas the relationship between the three species differed significantly. Thus, for each species a regression function is given, valid for the whole North Sea, that allows estimations of the body weight of the three hermit-crab species from measuring the chela height alone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The crustacean Pagurus bernhardus is an abundant hermit crab species in the soft-bottom benthic communities of the North Sea. The gastropod shells inhabited by the hermit crab were found to provide substrate for a diverse epizoic fauna. In order to describe the epizoan community as well as spatial differences in epizoan communities of the North Sea, hermit crabs were sampled during summer 2001 at five stations in the North Sea. In total, 51 epizoic species with up to 15 species and 427 individuals per crab were found. The most abundant epizoans were obligate associated species such as the polychaete Circeis amoricani paguri , the cnidaria Hydractinia echinata and the crustacean Trypetesa lampas , as well as sessile epizoans also found in hard-bottom habitats such as balanids Balanus crenatus and Verruca stroemia or free-living species such as the amphipod Gammaropsis nitida . The epizoic community structure on shells of the stations north of the 50 m contour differs from the southern communities on the Dogger Bank and in the German Bight. The northern stations were dominated by sessile species, whereas a higher proportion of free-living epizoans occurred at the southern stations. The results are discussed concerning the ecological importance of shells inhabited by hermit crabs as a hard substrate in soft-bottom habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution of sediments to nutrient cycling of the coastal North Sea is strongly controlled by the intensity of fluxes across the sediment water interface. Pore‐water advection is one major exchange mechanism that is well described by models, as it is determined by physical parameters. In contrast, biotransport (i.e., bioirrigation, bioturbation) as the other major transport mechanism is much more complex. Observational data reflecting biotransport, from the German Bight for example, is scarce. We sampled the major sediment provinces of the German Bight repeatedly over the years from 2013 to 2019. By employing ex situ whole core incubations, we established the seasonal and spatial variability of macrofauna‐sustained benthic fluxes of oxygen and nutrients. A multivariate, partial least squares analysis identified faunal activity, in specifically bioturbation and bioirrigation, alongside temperature, as the most important drivers of oxygen and nutrient fluxes. Their combined effect explained 63% of the observed variability in oxygen fluxes, and 36–48% of variability in nutrient fluxes. Additional 10% of the observed variability of fluxes were explained by sediment type and the availability of plankton biomass. Based on our extrapolation by sediment provinces, we conclude that pore‐water advection and macrofaunal activity contributed equally to the total benthic oxygen uptake in the German Bight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global threat for marine ecosystems, their biodiversity and consequently ecosystem services. In the marine realm, marine protected areas (MPAs) were designated to counteract regional pressures, but they might be ineffective to protect vulnerable species and habitats, if their distribution is affected by global climate change. We used six Species Distribution Models (GLM, MARS, FDA, RF, GBM, MAXENT) to project changes in the distribution of eight benthic indicator and key species under climate change in the North Sea MPAs for 2050 and 2099. The projected distribution area of most species will be stable or even increase within the MPAs between 2001 and 2050. Thereafter, the distribution area decreased, especially within MPAs in the central North Sea by 2099, and some key species even disappeared from the MPAs. Consequently, the monitoring and protection of benthic species might not be possible within static MPA borders under climate change. 1. Distributional changes will be most pronounced for the second half of the century 2. MPAs in the North Sea might not fulfil their objectives in the far future 3. Machine learning and regression-based methods showed high performance variation 4. Consensus models were an appropriate approach to reduce this variation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural stony and coarse-grained habitats entail important ecological features for the marine environment. Due to the complexity of their bottom characteristics, they host a high biodiversity compared to surrounding soft bottom areas. The German nature conservation area "Helgoländer Steingrund" (HSG; 54°14.00 N and 8°03.00 W) is subject to regular monitoring but lacks information on the spatial distribution of benthic species. Within this study, a new approach using species distribution models (SDM) was tested to fill these gaps of knowledge. Newly recorded environmental data (depth, sediments, current velocities) in the HSG and information on the presence and absences of nine benthic species (Echinus esculentus, Metridium senile, Cancer pagurus, Phymatolithon spp., Axinella polypoides, Homarus gammarus, Flustra foliacea, Alcyonidium diaphanum, Alcyonium digitatum), collected using video analysis of drop camera records, was used to perform SDMs. The models revealed good evaluation measures (true skill statistic > 0.7; area under the receiver operation characteristic curve > 0.90), implying that the model showed good predictive performance for the potential distribution of the tested species. The outcome of this study is a clear recommendation on SDM application in further environmental monitoring programs on the HSG and other protected hard ground areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological communities are constantly being reshaped in the face of environmental change and anthropogenic pressures. Yet, how food webs change over time remains poorly understood. Food web science is characterized by a trade‐off between complexity (in terms of the number of species and feeding links) and dynamics. Topological analysis can use complex, highly resolved empirical food web models to explore the architecture of feeding interactions but is limited to a static view, whereas ecosystem models can be dynamic but use highly aggregated food webs. Here, we explore the temporal dynamics of a highly resolved empirical food web over a time period of 18 years, using the German Bight fish and benthic epifauna community as our case study. We relied on long‐term monitoring ecosystem surveys (from 1998 to 2015) to build a metaweb, i.e. the meta food web containing all species recorded over the time span of our study. We then combined time series of species abundances with topological network analysis to construct annual food web snapshots. We developed a new approach, 'node‐weighted' food web metrics by including species abundances to represent the temporal dynamics of food web structure, focusing on generality and vulnerability. Our results suggest that structural food web properties change through time; however, binary food web structural properties may not be as temporally variable as the underlying changes in species composition. Further, the node‐weighted metrics enabled us to detect that food web structure was influenced by changes in species composition during the first half of the time series and more strongly by changes in species dominance during the second half. Our results demonstrate how ecosystem surveys can be used to monitor temporal changes in food web structure, which are important ecosystem indicators for building marine management and conservation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Since the second half of the 20th century drastic changes were found within the marine environment, mostly driven by anthropogenic and climatic pressures. Within this study, the long-term variability of south-eastern North Sea macrofauna community structure was analysed on a large spatial extent, to examine effects of increasing sea surface temperature, decreasing pelagic and benthic primary production and phytoplankton biomass, together with de-eutrophication effects since the late 1980s. Macrofauna data from the 1986 North Sea Benthos Survey and the 2000 North Sea Benthos Project were reanalysed and compared with present data from 2010 to 2015. A stable spatial distribution of four main macrofauna communities was found, based on the environmental parameters depth, sediment composition, and tidal parameters. Diversity and taxa numbers remained stable since 1986. However, in 2010–2015, mean abundance and biomass of offshore waters had decreased slightly, while at the coastal nearshore areas and parts of the Oysterground a significant increase was found. Simultaneously, a spatial shift in maximum mean abundance and biomass from the Dogger Bank and Oysterground in 1986 towards the North Frisian coast in 2000 and 2010–2015 was found. Changes were probably driven by de-eutrophication effects in line with food limitation caused by decreasing phytoplankton biomass and pelagic and benthic primary production that strengthen the dominance of opportunistic tube-living taxa such as Phoronis spp. and Spiophanes bombyx. Synergistic effects of increasing sea surface temperature, ongoing seabed degradation, and predation by small non-target fish species caused distinct regionally different changes in characteristic species and dominance structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying patterns in the effects of temperature on species' population abundances could help develop a general framework for predicting the consequences of climate change across different communities and realms. We used long-term population time series data from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species communitieswithin central Europe to compare the effects of temperature on abundance across a broad range of taxonomic groups.We askedwhether there was anaverage relationship betweentemperatures in different seasons andannual abundances of species in a community, and whether species attributes (temperature range of distribution, range size, habitat breadth, dispersal ability, body size, and lifespan) explained interspecific variation in the relationship between temperature and abundance. We found that, on average, warmer winter temperatureswere associatedwith greater abundances in terrestrial communities (ground beetles, spiders, and birds) but not always in aquatic communities (freshwater and marine invertebrates and fish). The abundances of species with large geographical ranges, larger body sizes, and longer lifespans tended to be less related to temperature. Our results suggest that climate changemay have, in general, positive effects on species' abundanceswithinmany terrestrial communities in central Europe while the effects are less predictable in aquatic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full-coverage spatial data of occurrence and a detailed description of habitat requirements of epibenthic communities are needed in many conservation and management contexts. In the North Sea the focus has so far been on small benthic infauna, whereas structure and ecosystem functions of larger epifaunal communities have been largely ignored. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of epibenthic community structure in the south-eastern North Sea, including a detailed inventory of species, diversity and spatially contiguous distribution of communities. Data from nearly 400 stations were compiled for the study, enabling us to describe epibenthic community structure at unprecedented spatial resolution. Eight distinct epibenthic communities were found in the south-eastern North Sea by using multivariate analysis. Distribution modelling with eight environmental variables (bottom temperature and salinity, temperature differences between summer and winter, mud content of sediments, maximum bottom shear stress, stratification, water depth and annual primary production) and one human pressure (fishing effort) was used to extrapolate probable spatial distributions and to identify associated habitat characteristics of the communities in the south-eastern North Sea. Three large epibenthic communities “Coast”, “Oysterground” and “Tail End” reflect a gradual habitat change from the coast towards offshore regions, expressed in gradients of bottom salinity, seasonal temperature differences and stratification as the dominant environmental factors. Five smaller communities (“Amrum Bank”, “Frisian Front”, “Deeps”, “Dogger Bank” and “Dogger Slope”) outline specific habitats in the south-eastern North Sea. The “Dogger Slope” community has not been recognized before, but has a predicted spatial extent of 7118 km 2 . Due to the high occurrence of long-lived, sessile species such as sponges this community is very sensitive to demersal fishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) holds a high potential for remote sensing in intertidal areas. Geomorphic structures of the sediment surface generating patterns of water cover contrasting with exposed sediment surfaces can clearly be detected. This study explores intertidal bedforms on the upper flats bordering the island of Norderney in the German Wadden Sea using TerraSAR-X imagery from 2009 to 2015. Such bedforms are common in the Wadden Sea, forming crests alternating with water-covered troughs oriented in a north-easterly direction. In the western Norderney area, the crest-to-crest distance ranges from 50-130 m, and bedform length can reach 500 m. Maximum height differences between crests and troughs are 20 cm. A simple method is developed to extract the water-covered troughs from TerraSAR-X images for spatiotemporal analysis of bedform positions in a GIS. It is earmarked by unsupervised ISODATA classification of textural parameters, contrasting with various algorithm-based methods pursued in earlier studies of waterline detection. The high-frequency TerraSAR-X data reveal novel evidence of a bedform shift in an easterly direction during the study period. Height profiles measured with RTK-DGPS along defined transects support the findings from TerraSAR-X data. First investigations to characterise sediments and macrofauna show that benthic macrofauna community structure differs significantly between crests and troughs, comprising mainly fine sands. Evidently, bedform formation has implications for benthic faunal diversity in back-barrier settings of the Wadden Sea. SAR remote sensing provides pivotal data on bedform dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the spatial resolution of sediment properties and benthic macrofauna communities in acoustic backscatter, the suitability of four acoustic seafloor classification devices (single-beam echosounder with RoxAnn and QTC 5.5 seafloor classification system, sidescan sonar with QTC Swathview seafloor classification, and multi-beam echosounder with QTC Swathview seafloor classification) was compared in a study area of approx. 6 km northwest of the island of Helgoland in the German Bight, southern North Sea. This was based on a simple similarity index between simultaneous sidescan sonar, single-beam echosounder and multi-beam echosounder profiling spanning the period 2011-2014. The results show a high similarity between seafloor classifications based on sidescan sonar and RoxAnn single-beam systems, in turn associated with a lower similarity for the multi-beam echosounder system. Analyses of surface sediment samples at 39 locations along four transects (0.1 m Van Veen grab) revealed the presence of sandy mud (southern and western parts), coarse sand, gravel and cobbles. Rock outcrops were identified in the north-eastern and eastern parts. A typical Nucula nitidosa- Abra alba community was found in sandy muds to muddy sands in the northern part, whereas the southern part is characterised by widespread occurrence of the ophiuroid brittle star Amphiura filiformis. A transitional N. nitidosa- A. filiformis community was detected in the central part. Moreover, the southern part is characterised by a high abundance of A. filiformis and its commensal bivalve Kurtiella bidentata. The high number of A. filiformis feeding arms (up to ca. 6,800 per m) can largely explain the gentle change of backscatter intensity along the tracks, because sediment composition and/or seafloor structures showed no significant variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale spatial distribution patterns of seven macrofauna species, seagrass beds and mixed mussel/oyster reefs were modelled for the Jade Bay (North Sea, Germany) in response to climatic and environmental scenarios (representing 2050). For the species distribution models four presence-absence modelling methods were merged within the ensemble forecasting platform ‘biomod2’. The present spatial distribution (representing 2009) was modelled by statistically related species presences, true species absences and six high-resolution environmental grids. The future spatial distribution was then predicted in response to expected climate change-induced ongoing (1) sea-level rise and (2) water temperature increase. Between 2009 and 2050, the present and future prediction maps revealed a significant range gain for two macrofauna species ( Macoma balthica , Tubificoides benedii ), whereas the species' range sizes of five macrofauna species remained relatively stable across space and time. The predicted probability of occurrence (PO) of two macrofauna species ( Cerastoderma edule , Scoloplos armiger ) decreased significantly under the potential future habitat conditions. In addition, a clear seagrass bed extension ( Zostera noltii ) on the lower intertidal flats (mixed sediments) and a decrease in the PO of mixed Mytilus eduli s/ Crassostrea gigas reefs was predicted for 2050. Until the mid-21st century, our future climatic and environmental scenario revealed significant changes in the range sizes (gains-losses) and/or the PO (increases-decreases) for seven of the 10 modelled species at the study site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic oxygen and nitrogen fluxes were quantified within the years 2012 to 2014 at different time series sites in the southern North Sea with the benthic lander NuSObs (Nutrient and Suspension Observatory). In situ incubations of sediments, in situ bromide tracer studies, sampling of macrofauna and pore water investigations revealed considerable seasonal and spatial variations of oxygen and nitrogen fluxes. Seasonal and spatial variations of oxygen fluxes were observed between two different time series sites, covering different sediment types and/or different benthic macrofaunal communities. On a sediment type with a high content of fine grained particles (<63 µm) oxygen fluxes of −15.5 to −25.1 mmol m −2 d −1 (June 2012), −2.0 to −8.2 mmol m −2 d −1 (March 2013), −16.8 to −21.5 mmol m −2 d −1 (November 2013) and −6.1 mmol m −2 d −1 (March 2014) were measured. At the same site a highly diverse community of small species of benthic macrofauna was observed. On a sediment type with a low content of fine grained particles (<63 µm) high oxygen fluxes (−33.2 mmol m −2 d −1 August 2012; −47.2 to −55.1 mmol m −2 d −1 November 2013; −16.6 mmol m −2 d −1 March 2014) were observed. On this sediment type a less diverse benthic macrofaunal community, which was dominated by the large bodied suspension feeder Ensis directus, was observed. Average annual rain rates of organic carbon and organic nitrogen to the seafloor of 7.44 mol C m −2 y −1 and 1.34 mol N m −2 y −1 were estimated. On average 79% of the organic bound carbon and 95% of the organic bound nitrogen reaching the seafloor are recycled at the sediment–water interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global and regional change clearly affects the structure and functioning of ecosystems in shelf seas. However, complex interactions within the shelf seas hinder the identification and unambiguous attribution of observed changes to drivers. These include variability in the climate system, in ocean dynamics, in biogeochemistry, and in shelf sea resource exploitation in the widest sense by societies. Observational time series are commonly too short, and resolution, integration time, and complexity of models are often insufficient to unravel natural variability from anthropogenic perturbation. The North Sea is a shelf sea of the North Atlantic and is impacted by virtually all global and regional developments. Natural variability (from interannual to multidecadal time scales) as response to forcing in the North Atlantic is overlain by global trends (sea level, temperature, acidification) and alternating phases of direct human impacts and attempts to remedy those. Human intervention started some 1000 years ago (diking and associated loss of wetlands), expanded to near-coastal parts in the industrial revolution of the mid-19th century (river management, waste disposal in rivers), and greatly accelerated in the mid-1950s (eutrophication, pollution, fisheries). The North Sea is now a heavily regulated shelf sea, yet societal goals (good environmental status versus increased uses), demands for benefits and policies diverge increasingly. Likely, the southern North Sea will be re-zoned as riparian countries dedicate increasing sea space for offshore wind energy generation — with uncertain consequences for the system's environmental status. We review available observational and model data (predominantly from the southeastern North Sea region) to identify and describe effects of natural variability, of secular changes, and of human impacts on the North Sea ecosystem, and outline developments in the next decades in response to environmental legislation, and in response to increased use of shelf sea space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explaining patterns of commonness and rarity is fundamental for understanding and managing biodiversity. Consequently, a key test of biodiversity theory has been how well ecological models reproduce empirical distributions of species abundances. However, ecological models with very different assumptions can predict similar species abundance distributions, whereas models with similar assumptions may generate very different predictions. This complicates inferring processes driving community structure from model fits to data. Here, we use an approximation that captures common features of “neutral” biodiversity models—which assume ecological equivalence of species—to test whether neutrality is consistent with patterns of commonness and rarity in the marine biosphere. We do this by analyzing 1,185 species abundance distributions from 14 marine ecosystems ranging from intertidal habitats to abyssal depths, and from the tropics to polar regions. Neutrality performs substantially worse than a classical nonneutral alternative: empirical data consistently show greater heterogeneity of species abundances than expected under neutrality. Poor performance of neutral theory is driven by its consistent inability to capture the dominance of the communities’ most-abundant species. Previous tests showing poor performance of a neutral model for a particular system often have been followed by controversy about whether an alternative formulation of neutral theory could explain the data after all. However, our approach focuses on common features of neutral models, revealing discrepancies with a broad range of empirical abundance distributions. These findings highlight the need for biodiversity theory in which ecological differences among species, such as niche differences and demographic trade-offs, play a central role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compiled data from different monitoring surveys to analyse and compare community and diversity patterns of fish, epi- and infauna in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea in order to identify benthic habitats common to all faunal components. We found congruent community patterns of fish, epi- and infauna for the coastal waters, the Oysterground and the area called 'Duck's Bill', which coincided with specific abiotic characteristics of these regions. The three regions were defined as special habitats for fish, epi- and infauna species in the German EEZ. The differences in the seasonal variability of abiotic factors seem to be the most important discriminating abiotic characteristic for the three habitats. The spatial distribution of fish, epifauna and infauna communities remained stable over time although habitat characteristics such as sea surface temperature increased due to climate change. However, it is expected that the coastal habitat will be more sensitive to future climate change effects in contrast to the Oysterground and Duck's Bill habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meiofauna play an essential role in the diet of small and juvenile fish. However, it is less well documented which meiofaunal prey groups in the sediment are eaten by fish. Trophic relationships between five demersal fish species (solenette, goby, scaldfish, dab <20 cm and plaice <20 cm) and meiofaunal prey were investigated by means of comparing sediment samples and fish stomach contents collected seasonally between January 2009 and January 2010 in the German Bight. In all seasons, meiofauna in the sediment was numerically dominated by nematodes, whereas harpacticoids dominated in terms of occurrence and biomass. Between autumn and spring, the harpacticoid community was characterized by Pseudobradya minor and Halectinosoma canaliculatum, and in summer by Longipedia coronata. Meiofaunal prey dominated the diets of solenette and gobies in all seasons, occurred only seasonally in the diet of scaldfish and dab, and was completely absent in the diet of plaice. For all fish species (excluding plaice) and in each season, harpacticoids were the most important meiofauna prey group in terms of occurrence, abundance and biomass. High values of Ivlev's index of selectivity for Pseudobradya spp. in winter and Longipedia spp. in summer provided evidence that predation on harpacticoids was species-selective, even though both harpacticoids co-occurred in high densities in the sediments. Most surficial feeding strategies of the studied fish species and emergent behaviours of Pseudobradya spp. and Longipedia spp. might have caused this prey selection. With increasing fish sizes, harpacticoid prey densities decreased in the fish stomachs, indicating a diet change towards larger benthic prey during the ontogeny of all fish species investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reiss, H., Degraer, S., Duineveld, G. C. A., Kröncke, I., Aldridge, J., Craeymeersch, J., Eggleton, J. D., Hillewaert, H., Lavaleye, M. S. S., Moll, A., Pohlmann, T., Rachor, E., Robertson, M., vanden Berghe, E., van Hoey, G., and Rees, H. L. 2010. Spatial patterns of infauna, epifauna, and demersal fish communities in the North Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 278–293.Understanding the structure and interrelationships of North Sea benthic invertebrate and fish communities and their underlying environmental drivers is an important prerequisite for conservation and spatial ecosystem management on scales relevant to ecological processes. Datasets of North Sea infauna, epifauna, and demersal fish (1999–2002) were compiled and analysed to (i) identify and compare spatial patterns in community structure, and (ii) relate these to environmental variables. The multivariate analyses revealed significantly similar large-scale patterns in all three components with major distinctions between a southern community (Oyster Ground and German Bight), an eastern Channel and southern coastal community, and at least one northern community (>50 m deep). In contrast, species diversity patterns differed between the components with a diversity gradient for infauna and epifauna decreasing from north to south, and diversity hotspots of demersal fish, e.g. near the major inflows of Atlantic water. The large-scale hydrodynamic variables were the main drivers for the structuring of communities, whereas sediment characteristics appeared to be less influential, even for the infauna communities. The delineation of ecologically meaningful ecosystem management units in the North Sea might be based on the structure of the main faunal ecosystem components. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Neumann, H., Reiss, H., Rakers, S., Ehrich, S., and Kröncke, I. 2009. Temporal variability in southern North Sea epifauna communities after the cold winter of 1995/1996. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 2233–2243.Epifauna communities in the southeastern North Sea were studied from 1998 to 2008 to evaluate the effect of hydroclimatic change in community structure. The spatial analysis revealed four communities along the West and North Frisian coasts, on the Oyster Ground, and on the Dogger Bank. The variability between communities was caused mainly by differing abundance of widespread species such as Asterias rubens, probably reflecting differences in environmental conditions, e.g. temperature variation and food supply. Community structure varied between 1998–2000 and 2003–2008 at the shallow West and North Frisian coasts. The hypothesis is that epibenthic communities in these areas were severely affected by the cold winter of 1995/1996, resulting in the outbreak of the opportunistic brittlestar Ophiura albida and followed by characteristic post-disturbance succession stages from 1998 to 2000. The period between 2003 and 2008 was characterized by a continuous decrease in O. albida and by an increase in other species and diversity in the coastal areas. In contrast, secondary production increased in all four areas after 2003, probably because of an increase in sea surface temperature (SST) and in the length of the warming season. We conclude that the cold winter affected epifauna mainly in shallow areas and that the increasing SST influenced the epifauna in the entire southeastern North Sea mainly through an increased food supply. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although climate system modeling cannot be imagined without long sea surface temperature (SST) records, observational data is spatiotemporally incomplete and inhomogeneous prior to about 1950. Moreover, almost no high-resolution SST proxies exist from temperate and boreal marine settings. Here, we present a temporally equidistant, high-resolution SST proxy record of the southern North Sea during the period 1884–1983 calculated from oxygen isotope ratios (δ18Oaragonite) of Arctica islandica (L.), a bivalve mollusk shell. Arctica islandica produces daily growth increments, which enable precise intraannual dating. The growing season of specimens from about 25 m water depth (upper well-mixed layer of the ocean) started in February and ended in September. Observational (COADS, etc.) and δ18Oaragonite-derived SST data during February through September compare well to each other, especially after 1950. Apart from similar overall SST trends, we found North Atlantic Oscillation-type cycles of 7–9 years in our proxy SST record and in various different instrumentally determined SST chronologies. No vital effects exist, so that δ18Oaragonite ratios determined across the shell (i.e., throughout lifetime) of the studied specimen reflect ambient water temperatures that occurred during shell growth. Results of our study demonstrate that A. islandica provides long, independent and high-resolution SST proxy chronologies from higher latitudes. Such records can complement and further validate observational SST data and help improving climate system models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Existing reconstructions of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (WNAO) are based on terrestrial proxies and historical documents. No direct high-resolution, long-term records from marine settings are available for this major climate-dictating phenomenon, which severely affects a variety of economic aspects of our society. Here we present a 245 yr proxy WNAO index based on shells of the long-lived marine bivalve mollusk Arctica islandica. Variations in annual rates of shell growth are positively correlated with WNAO-related changes in the food supply. Maximum amplitudes in frequency bands of 7-9 and 5-7 yr fall exactly within the range of instrumental and other proxy WNAO indices. These estimates were obtained for specimens collected live, 2000 km apart, in the central North Sea and on the Norwegian Shelf. Hence, the WNAO influences hydrographic regimes of large regions of the ocean. Our study demonstrates that A. islandica can reliably reconstruct WNAO dynamics for time intervals and regions without instrumental records. Our new tool functions as a proxy for the WNAO index prior to the twentieth-century greenhouse forcing and has the potential to further validate other proxy-based WNAO records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]