Microplastics in Biota of the Wadden Sea along the Coast of Lower Saxony
Studies on selected benthic, demersal, and pelagic species in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea have shown that large proportions of the animals studied in almost all of the species were contaminated by microplastics (Fischer 2019). In the species investigated, the studies resulted in significant differences and a spatial gradient tendency with increasing contamination from north to south, although this was not classified as significant. Such an investigation has not yet been carried out along the coast of Lower Saxony.
Under the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), Member States have committed to collecting and evaluating data on waste in marine waters, establishing appropriate monitoring programs, and taking measures to reduce and limit inputs. Descriptor D10C3 in the MSFD requires that marine species do not ingest waste and microwaste in a quantity that affects the health of the species concerned (MSRL/2008/56/EC, Descriptor D10 Litter).
The project will contribute to implementing these requirements by: recording and evaluating the nature and extent of microplastics in biota based on 5 selected species at 6 investigation sites along the coast of Lower Saxony;
- determining differences in microplastic contamination of the species studied based on statistical methods and depending on trophic level, nutrition strategy, and specific parameters of individual representatives of the species such as length and weight;
- showing potential spatial gradients that take into account potential input sources, hydrographic conditions, and habitats along the coast of Lower Saxony; and
- based on the results, making recommendations for a future monitoring strategy to detect microplastics in biota in the coastal waters in Lower Saxony.
- The results obtained will be compared with those of other national and international studies, in particular, with those from the study of microplastics along the coastline of Schleswig-Holstein.
Project head: Dr. Elke Fischer
Duration: 2019–20
External funding: Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency (NLWKN)