Author(s)

K.H. van Bemem, B. Bluhm & H. Krasemann

Abstract

The Wadden Sea, a region of tidal flats and salt marshes extending at the North Sea coast of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, is of enormous value as a cleansing site for North Sea water, as a nursery for young fish, and as a feeding ground for many bird species. The region is especially endangered by oil spills due to the proximity of important shipping routes and harbours. Sheltered tidal flats, salt marshes and adjacent estuaries belong to the cost types most sensitive to oil pollution. As it is not possible to protect the entire German North Sea coast at equal levels, oil spill contingency planning requires a more detailed classification. For this reason, based on the results of field and laboratory studies, individual soft bottom habitats and communities (ha

Keywords