Project properties

Title Modelling climate change-related feedbacks
between seagrasses and suspended sediment in the
R�dsand lagoon (Denmark)
Group Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group
Project type thesis
Credits 30-39
Supervisor(s) Jasper Dijkstra, Deltares, department Ecology and Sediment Dynamics jasper.dijkstra@deltares.nl
Egbert van Nes, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality management Group (egbert.vannes@wur.nl)
Examiner(s) Egbert van Nes
Contact info General information concerning an ecological oriented thesis: Edwin Peeters (edwin.peeters@wur.nl)
Begin date 2017/09/15
End date
Description Seagrass beds constitute vital parts of shallow
marine ecosystems providing food, habitat, and
nursery areas for other marine organisms, besides
having positive effects on water quality by nutrient
recycling, dampening of waves and stabilizing
sediments. However, seagrasses are also
vulnerable for adverse environmental conditions:
increased turbidity from suspended sediment or
algae growth decreases the amount of light for
photosynthesis, whereas changes in salinity or
temperature can affect the resilience of the plants.
In the present conditions, the positive feedback
between seagrass presence and under water light
climate creates the right conditions for seagrasses
to thrive, but whether these conditions prevail in a
changing climate (e.g. deeper and warmer water,
higher or more frequent waves) is an open
question.
Used skills modelling
Requirements