Disclaimer:
The authors are solely responsible for the content of this report. Material included herein does not represent the opinion of the European Community, and the European Community is not responsible for any use that might be made of it.
Back to overview reports
Table 1 Overview of the number (#) of sampling stations for the regular and continuous sampling campaigns, tributaries, some major locations and the upper boundary/tributary per estuary and zone.
Back to top
How do TIDE estuaries function as a filter for nutrients?
What are the important factors controlling ecosystem functioning?
What is important in establishing a zonation for estuaries?
What parameters should be used to define and evaluate measure targets?
Which measures are suitable to improve the physical characteristics and chemical water quality?
Which variables limit estuarine primary production?
An interestuarine comparison for ecology in TIDE
Table of content
- 1. Introduction
- 1a. Biogeochemical processing for N, P and Si in Northern temperate estuaries
- 1b. Nutrient fluxes
- 1c. Primary production
- 1d. Differences and similarities between Elbe, Scheldt, Humber and Weser
- 2. Material and methods
- 2a. Study area & period
- 2b. Physics
- 2c. Biogeochemistry
- 3. Results
- 3a. Physics 2
- 3b. Biogeochemistry 2
- 4. Discussion
- 4a. Estuarine patterns
- 4b. Different sink and source functions for nutrients
- 4c. Oxygen deficiencies
- 4d. Primary production 2
- 5. Conclusion
- 5a. What are the important factors controlling ecosystem functioning within the TIDE estuaries?
- 5b. How do TIDE estuaries function as a filter for nutrients?
- 5c. How can we avoid oxygen deficiency situations in the TIDE estuaries?
- 5d. Which variables limit primary production in the TIDE estuaries?
- 5e. Lessons learnt from TIDE: towards ecosystem services and measures, recommendations for further estuarine management
- 6. References
Authors:
by Geerts L, Maris T, Meire P
With contributions of Beauchard O, Schöl A, Vandenbruwaene W., Van Damme S, Wolfstein K, Manson S, Saathoff S, Soetaert K, Cox T, Meire A, (February 2013)
by Geerts L, Maris T, Meire P
With contributions of Beauchard O, Schöl A, Vandenbruwaene W., Van Damme S, Wolfstein K, Manson S, Saathoff S, Soetaert K, Cox T, Meire A, (February 2013)
2a. Study area & period
The Elbe estuary is characterized by the largest river drainage basin (148 286 km2), followed by the Weser (49 000 km2), Humber (24 240 km2) and Scheldt (20 863 km2) (Sanders et al. 1997, Grabemann & Krause 2001, Arndt et al. 2011, Dähnke et al. 2008). These four northern temperate estuaries were selected based on their similar challenge to ensure both economic development and estuarine functioning. Water quality data are examined for the time period of 2004 up to 2009 and compared between the TIDE estuaries. Furthermore a coupling to hydro-morphology is made. In table 1 here below, the number of sampling stations for regular sampling campaigns, for continuous samplings, major tributaries, important locations and upper boundaries are given per estuary and zone. The estuarine zonation as decided in TIDE (Geerts et al. 2012 ) is used in all further data comparisons, unless specified otherwise.Table 1 Overview of the number (#) of sampling stations for the regular and continuous sampling campaigns, tributaries, some major locations and the upper boundary/tributary per estuary and zone.
| Estuary | Zone | TIDE-km | Regular (#) | Continuous (#) | Tributaries | Important locations |
Upper boundary/ tributary |
| Elbe | FW 1 | 0-24 | 4 | 1 (Bunthaus) | Ilmenau | Geesthacht, Zollenspieker, Bunthaus | Schnackenburg (-111 tide-km) |
| FW 2 | 24-46 | 4 | 1 (Seemannshöft) | St. Pauli, Seemannshöft | |||
| FW3 | 46-91 | 11 | 1 (Blankenese) | Este, Lühe, Schwinge, Pinnau | Blankenese, Lühesand Nort, Grauerort,Pagensander Nebenelbe, Glückstadt | ||
| OLIGO | 91-118 | 4 | Stör | Brunsbüttel | |||
| MESO | 118-141 | 3 | Oste | Cuxhaven | |||
| POLY | 141-171 | 2 | Scharhörn | ||||
| Scheldt | FW 1 | 0-31 | 4 | Merelbeke | Bovenschelde | ||
| FW 2 | 31-58 | 5 | Dender, Durme | Appels, Dendermonde, St. Amands | |||
| OLIGO | 58-89 | 7 | 1 (Kruibeke) | Rupel | Temse, Antwerpen | ||
| MESO | 89-116 | 8 | Zandvliet, Doel, Dutch-Flemish border, Bath, Waarde | ||||
| POLY | 116-160 | 6 | Hansweert, Breskens, Vlissingen | ||||
| Ouse-Humber | FW | 0-34 | 4 | 2 (Cawood bridge, Selby bridge) | Wharfe, Derwent | Naburn Lock | Ouse (0 tide-km) |
| OLIGO | 34-60 | 2 | 2 (Boothferry bridge, Blacktoft Jetty) | Aire, Don, Trent | Boothferry bridge | ||
| MESO | 60-93 | 3 | 1 (Corporation pier) | Hull | Brough haven, New Holland, Albert dock, Goxhill | ||
| POLY | 93-123 | 4 | Grimsby, Spurnpoint | ||||
| Weser | FW 1 | 0-31 | 1 | Hunte, Lesum, Ochtum | Bremen | Bremen Hemelingen (-1,5 tide-km) |
|
| FW 2 | 31-44 | 1 | 2 (Gütestation Brake,Gütestation Nordenham) | Lune | Brake, Nordenham | ||
| OLIGO | 44-69 | 1 | Geeste | Bremerhaven | |||
| MESO | 69-84 | ||||||
| POLY | 84-119 | 1 |
Important to know
Reports / Measures / Tools
| Report: | Zonation of the TIDE estuaries (Functioning) |
|---|---|
| Report: | Interestuarine comparison: Hydro-geomorphology (Functioning) |
Management issues
How can we avoid oxygen deficiency situations?How do TIDE estuaries function as a filter for nutrients?
What are the important factors controlling ecosystem functioning?
What is important in establishing a zonation for estuaries?
What parameters should be used to define and evaluate measure targets?
Which measures are suitable to improve the physical characteristics and chemical water quality?
Which variables limit estuarine primary production?