Project part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund)

The Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme


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An interestuarine comparison for ecology in TIDE

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



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