Long-term trends of the macrobenthos of the Belgian Continental Shelf (BCS)

The Belgian Continental Shelf (BCS) covers approximately 0.5% (surface: 2017 km²) of the total North Sea surface, but is nevertheless characterised by a high, natural diversity of marine habitats and associated fauna. The socio-economic aspects within the BCS are also important. As in most coastal areas around the North Sea many human activities take place e.g. fisheries, shipping, military exercises, dumping of dredged materials and sand/gravel extraction. Combining the high ecological and high socio-economic values of the BCS leads in many ways to profound conflict situations between both in... Mehr ...