Shifting baselines in the Ems Dollard estuary:A comparison across three decades reveals changing benthic communities

At a time when there is a growing discussion about the natural state of estuaries, a comparison of macrozoobenthos communities from two surveys conducted 30. years apart in the Ems Dollard estuary, in the eastern Wadden Sea, The Netherlands, provides a unique opportunity to compare changes over time. As expected, our comparison revealed a gradient in species composition from land (the Dollard) to sea (the Outer Ems) at both points in time, with brackish species in the Dollard and more marine species in the Outer Ems (Wadden Sea). Total richness increased over time; however, this mainly reflect... Mehr ...