In 1995 the Federal Institute of Hydrology began a monitoring programme on macrozoobenthos in the German North Sea estuaries. First results show that each estuary has its own characteristic sublittoral macrofauna coenosis. Several species could be detected by the BfG-Monitoring in the estuaries for the first tim (Ems: seven species, e.g. Streblospio benedicti, Nephtys paradoxa, Gammarus tigrinus; Jade: two species, Nephtys longosetosa and N. cirrosa; Weser: two species, Polydora ligerica and Spio filicornis; Elbe: seven species, e.g. Malacocerus tetracerus, Corophium lacustre, Pseudocuma longicornis). Detecting these eigtheen "new" species on only one survey shows the importance of long-term studies of benthic communities. |
