LTER-site Wadden Sea - Netherlands

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Basic Information
Site Name
LTER-site Wadden Sea
Short name
NL-WZ
Country
Netherlands
Web Address
Basismonitoring Wadden
Datahuis Wadden (Open Data of the Dutch Wadden Sea)
Programma naar een rijke Waddenzee (discontinued)
Operating Organisation
Rijkswaterstaat
Ministry of LVVN
NIOZ Netherlands Institute for Sea Reseach
WMR Wageningen Marine Research
Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology
Site Manager
Sander Holthuijsen
Funding Agency
Rijkswaterstaat
Ministry of LVVN
Waddenfonds
NWO Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Site Description
The LTER site Dutch Wadden Sea is the uninhabited part of LTSER Dutch Wadden Sea Area. It consists of intertidal mudflats, subtidal areas, saltmarhes and dunes, protected by Natura2000. The northern border of the area are the dikes protecting the inhabed parts of the Wadden Sea islands from flooding. The southern border of the area is the dike protecting inhabited polders from flooding. Many of of these polders consist of reclaimed saltmarsh areas. The Dutch Wadden Sea is part of the international Wadden Sea, extending along the coasts of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The international Wadden Sea comprises the largest tidal flats system in the world, where natural processes proceed to a large extent undisturbed.
Relationships to other sites
This site belongs to:
Last modified
2026-08-24 16:32:48

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
1872
Observed properties
Climate
Precipitation Sum:    700 mm
Temperature Mean: 9.92 °C
Standard Reference Period: 1991 - 2020
Affiliation and Network Specific Information
Affiliation
Netherlands LTER✖ (LTER_EU_NL_001)The affiliation of this site with "Netherlands LTER" is not verified by the network on DEIMS.
Projects
Birds Directive (2009/147/EC)
Natura 2000
Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)
EcoPotential (H2020)
eLTER (H2020)
OSPAR
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Related Identifiers
https://elter-ri.eu/
Geographic
View in site map
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 53.253529 Longitude: 5.259008

Size
ca. 271212.94ha
Elevation (average)
0.00msl
Elevation (min)
-3.40msl
Elevation (max)
24.10msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]
GEO-BON Biome
Coastal
Biome
Coastal
Ecosystem Type
Coastal
Marine
Temperate shelfs and seas
Urban
Biogeographical Region
Atlantic Bio-geographical Region
EUNIS habitat
Coastal habitats (B)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1) » Coastal dune heaths (B1.5)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1) » Coastal dune scrub (B1.6)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1) » Coastal dune woods (B1.7)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1) » Coastal stable dune grassland (grey dunes) (B1.4)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1) » Sand beach driftlines (B1.1)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1) » Sand beaches above the driftline (B1.2)
Coastal habitats (B) » Coastal dunes and sandy shores (B1) » Shifting coastal dunes (B1.3)
Habitat complexes (X)
Habitat complexes (X) » Estuaries (X01)
Heathland, scrub and tundra (F)
Heathland, scrub and tundra (F) » Temperate shrub heathland (F4)
Heathland, scrub and tundra (F) » Temperate shrub heathland (F4) » Dry heaths (F4.2)
Inland surface waters (C)
Inland surface waters (C) » Littoral zone of inland surface waterbodies (C3)
Inland surface waters (C) » Littoral zone of inland surface waterbodies (C3) » Periodically inundated shores with pioneer and ephemeral vegetation (C3.5)
Inland surface waters (C) » Littoral zone of inland surface waterbodies (C3) » Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated shores with soft or mobile sediments (C3.6)
Marine habitats (A)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2) » Coastal saltmarshes and saline reedbeds (A2.5)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2) » Features of littoral sediment (A2.8)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2) » Littoral biogenic reefs (A2.7)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2) » Littoral coarse sediment (A2.1)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2) » Littoral mixed sediments (A2.4)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2) » Littoral mud (A2.3)
Marine habitats (A) » Littoral sediment (A2) » Littoral sand and muddy sand (A2.2)
Marine habitats (A) » Pelagic water column (A7)
Marine habitats (A) » Pelagic water column (A7) » Unstratified water column with full salinity (A7.8)
Marine habitats (A) » Pelagic water column (A7) » Unstratified water column with reduced salinity (A7.5)
Marine habitats (A) » Sublittoral sediment (A5)
Marine habitats (A) » Sublittoral sediment (A5) » Features of sublittoral sediments (A5.7)
Marine habitats (A) » Sublittoral sediment (A5) » Sublittoral biogenic reefs (A5.6)
Marine habitats (A) » Sublittoral sediment (A5) » Sublittoral coarse sediment (A5.1)
Marine habitats (A) » Sublittoral sediment (A5) » Sublittoral mixed sediments (A5.4)
Marine habitats (A) » Sublittoral sediment (A5) » Sublittoral mud (A5.3)
Marine habitats (A) » Sublittoral sediment (A5) » Sublittoral sand (A5.2)
Air Temperature: Average Annual
9.90°C
Precipitation Annual
700.00mm
Landforms
Coast
Island
Geology
From a geological point of view the Wadden Sea is very young, dating from the latest geological period, the Quaternary. The sedimentary deposits are mainly sand and silt, as well as organic materials, that are modelled and remodelled every hour by the constant working of water and wind, of tides, drifts and currents. Shallows like the Wadden Sea develop as the result of interaction between a relative rise in sea-levels and a supply of sediment. The rise in sea-levels leads to increasing water-depths. However, the supply of sediment results in the expansion and heightening of sand- as well as mud-flats, both becoming larger and higher, thereby annulling the effects of sea-level rising.
Vegetation
Tidal flats are covered with microscopic algae, macroalgae and very locally some seagrass. Saltmarshes are covered with salt-resistant low vegetation. Dunes are covered with drought-resistant shrubby vegetation.
Soils
Mainly sand and clay
Hydrology
The North Sea waters are affected by the warm North Atlantic Current, which moves northward along the western side of the British Isles and enters the Norwegian Sea.
Protection Level (IUCN category)
Category IV – Habitat/Species Management Area
Category V – Protected Landscape/Seascape/Area
Category VI – Protected Area with sustainable use of natural resources
Land Use
primary production
primary production » aquaculture and fishing
primary production » aquaculture and fishing » professional fishing
transport networks logistics and utilities
transport networks logistics and utilities » transport networks
transport networks logistics and utilities » transport networks » water transport
other uses
other uses » natural areas not in other economic use
other uses » natural areas not in other economic use » land areas not in other economic use
other uses » natural areas not in other economic use » water areas not in other economic use
Site Type
Stationary land-based site
Design of Experimentation
partly experimentation
Scale of Experimentation
plot scale
Design of Observation
mainly observation
Scale of Observation
beyond catchment
Permanent Power Supply
Yes
Equipment
Data infrastructure » Data services » Other data services
Data infrastructure » Data services » Data portal
Data infrastructure » Data storage » Spatial database (GIS)
Data infrastructure » Data storage » Relational database
Supporting infrastructure » Transportation » Vehicle 2WD
Supporting infrastructure » Transportation » Boat
Supporting infrastructure » Transportation » Vehicle 4WD
Supporting infrastructure » Staff room at site » > 5 places
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (from site) » Cable based
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (from site) » Telephone line
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (from site) » Radio transmission system (repeaters. receivers. centralstation)
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (within site) » Telephone line
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (within site) » GMS/UMTS
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Data transmission » Data Transmission Type (within site) » Cable based
Energy and data transmission infrastructure » Energy supply » Permanent Power Supply Location » Central station(s)
Equipment notes
LTER-site Dutch Wadden Sea is huge. The villages ordering the area contain several research institutes and field stations.
Accessible All Year
Yes
All parts of Site Accessible
Yes
Access Type
boat
Permanent Operation
Yes
Operation Notes
LTER-site Wadden Sea is huge and includes many sites and measuring towers.
Site Visit Interval
1
Maintenance Interval
1
General Data Policy
Co-authorship on publications resulting from use of the dataset
Formal acknowledgement of the dataset providers
The opportunity to collaborate on the project using the dataset
The data provider is given and agrees to a statement of uses to which the dataset will be put
LTER Site Classification
Regular