LTSER Dutch Wadden Sea Area - Netherlands

Basic Information
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Site Name
LTSER Dutch Wadden Sea Area
Short name
NL-WZ
Country
Netherlands
Web Address
Basismonitoring Wadden
Waddenacademie
Programma naar een rijke Waddenzee (discontinued)
Site Manager
Sander Holthuijsen
Site Description
The Dutch Wadden Sea area is a large coastal area (615510 ha) bordering the north of the Netherlands. A range of inhabited barrier islands (included in LTSER Dutch Wadden Sea Area) separate the Dutch Wadden Sea from the North Sea. The barrier islands comprise sandy beaches, dunes, grazed and ungrazed saltmarsh areas, and polders with meadows and villages. The Dutch Wadden Sea itself consists of intertidal mudflats and subtidal areas. The southern border of the area consists of inhabited polders, many of which 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.
Last modified
2023-12-19 08:12:00

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
1872
Affiliation and Network Specific Information
Affiliation
ILTER✔This site is a verified "ILTER" member.
LTER Europe✔This site is a verified "LTER Europe" member.
Netherlands LTER✔ (LTER_EU_NL_001)This site is a verified "Netherlands LTER" member.
Projects
Birds Directive (2009/147/EC)
Natura 2000
Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)
EcoPotential (H2020)
eLTER (H2020)
eLTER catalogue
OSPAR
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Photos
Birds feeding on exposed intertidal flats with a mussel bed and a vessel fishing for shrimp in the gully
Birds feeding on exposed intertidal flats with a mussel bed and a vessel fishing for shrimp in the gully
Ferry between Holwerd on the mainland and the barrier island Ameland navigating through a shallow gully
Ferry between Holwerd on the mainland and the barrier island Ameland navigating through a shallow gully
Oystercatchers, gulls and terns roosting during high tide on a grazed saltmarsh on the island of Vlieland
Oystercatchers, gulls and terns roosting during high tide on a grazed saltmarsh on the island of Vlieland
Educational excursion organised by Ecomare on the intertidal flats bordering the island of Texel with the island of Vlieland in the distance
Educational excursion organised by Ecomare on the intertidal flats bordering the island of Texel with the island of Vlieland in the distance
Scientist walking on the grazed saltmarsh of the island of Ameland bordered by artificial dunes
Scientist walking on the grazed saltmarsh of the island of Ameland bordered by artificial dunes
Hide for observing birds on the edge of the saltmarsh on the island of Ameland with the mainland coast in the distance
Hide for observing birds on the edge of the saltmarsh on the island of Ameland with the mainland coast in the distance
Scientists transporting equipment on a large sandbank called Vliehors on the island of Vlieland
Scientists transporting equipment on a large sandbank called Vliehors on the island of Vlieland
Scientist struggling with the wind and moving sand in young developing dunes on the Vliehors on the island of Vlieland
Scientist struggling with the wind and moving sand in young developing dunes on the Vliehors on the island of Vlieland
Research vessel Navicula from NIOZ and vessel Krukel from ministry LNV used for both inspection, monitoring and research, on exposed tidal flats
Research vessel Navicula from NIOZ and vessel Krukel from ministry LNV used for both inspection, monitoring and research, on exposed tidal flats
Downloading measurements from a measuring pole on board a research vessel
Downloading measurements from a measuring pole on board a research vessel
Birds roosting during high tide on a sandbank
Birds roosting during high tide on a sandbank
Geographic
View in site map
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 53.25 Longitude: 5.25

Elevation (average)
0.00msl
Elevation (min)
-3.40msl
Elevation (max)
24.10msl
Related location(s)
Download

Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml]
Boundaries [.shp] [.kml]
GEO-BON Biome
Marine
Coastal
Biome
Coastal
Ecosystem Type
Agricultural
Coastal
Forest
Mixed Forest
Urban
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)
Air Temperature: Average Annual
9.60°C
Precipitation Annual
850.00mm
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 and locally forests have been planted. Polders are covered with meadows, agricultural lands and forests.
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
Site Type
Platform
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 » Data portal
Data infrastructure » Data storage » Spatial database (GIS)
Data infrastructure » Data storage » Relational database
Supporting infrastructure » Transportation » Boat
Supporting infrastructure » Staff room at site » > 5 places
Supporting infrastructure » Lodging at site » > 10 beds
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
LTSER Dutch Wadden Sea Area is huge. It includes villages, several research institutes and field stations.
Accessible All Year
Yes
All parts of Site Accessible
Yes
Access Type
boat
Permanent Operation
Yes
Operation Notes
LTSER Dutch Wadden Sea Area is huge and includes many sites and measuring towers.
Site Visit Interval
1
Maintenance Interval
1
General Data Policy
The data provider is given and agrees to a statement of uses to which the dataset will be put
LTER Site Classification
LTSER
Related Resources on DEIMS-SDR
2 dataset(s) in total:
Dutch Wadden Sea, Temperature, 1972 - 2018
Dutch Wadden Sea, Vegetation plot data, 1950 - 2017
Related External Resources
There is a total of 29 datasets for this site available on the eLTER Digital Asset Register (DAR). Click here to get an overview of these datasets.
There is EURO-CORDEX climate scenario data available for this site:
Projected Near Surface Specific Humidity ChangeRCP26RCP45RCP85
Projected Precipitation ChangeRCP26RCP45RCP85
Projected Sea Level Pressure ChangeRCP26RCP45RCP85
Projected Surface Downwelling Shortwave RadiationRCP26RCP45RCP85
Projected Near-Surface Wind SpeedRCP26RCP45RCP85
Projected Near-Surface Air TemperatureRCP26RCP45RCP85
Projected Daily Maximum Near-Surface Air TemperatureRCP26RCP45RCP85
Projected Daily Minimum Near-Surface Air TemperatureRCP26RCP45RCP85

You can also download the entire climate scenario dataset for this site from the EUDAT B2SHARE data store.