Phytoplankton monitoring data as tool to understand the drivers of algae distribution in the Waddensea

During the Monitoring Waterstaatkundige Toestand des Lands (MWTL) researchers have been collecting long-term monitoring data of marine diatoms and dinoflagellates in the past 15 years. In parallel, physio-chemical measurements of the waters in the Dutch Waddensea provide detailed information on e.g. salinity, temperature and nutrient status of the Waddensea.

In their combination, such extensive data sets provide a unique framework to explore the spatio-temporal dynamics of micro-algae distribution under changing habitat conditions.

Explore and test feedbacks

Prof. dr. Friederike Wagner-Cremer and her colleagues Farilde Steur, René van Wezel, Geurt Verweij, dr. Aleksandra Cvetkoska and dr. Francesca Sangiorgi utilized the over 400.000 entries of MWTL and physio-chemical data available through Rijkswaterstaat to develop a fully functioning combined data-base. This data-base now serves as a powerful tool to systematically explore and test the feedbacks between water quality and diatom/dinoflagellate diversity and abundance on seasonal resolution over the past 15 years.

This data-set provides important information on modern, human activity related ecosystem dynamics including issues such as the occurrence and persistence of exotic species. It is moreover available as an important calibration tool for improving palaeoecological proxies from which we can estimate natural and human induced changes beyond the instrumental records. These proxies will in the future be applied to sediment sequences in the Waddensea to reconstruct sea-level dynamics, salinity changes and the variability of the nutrient status of the coastal waters.

Further reading

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  Wat momentopnamen van fytoplankton ons kunnen vertellen over de geschiedenis van de kust

  Read this Dutch article on the research of Friederike Wagner-Cremer and her colleagues in the professional magazine H2O.