Trends in Wadden Sea Fish Fauna, Part I: Trilateral Cooperation

The shallow waters of the Wadden Sea and the connected estuaries and coastal waters provide indispensable habitats for a whole range of fish species in the course of their life-cycle. These areas provide spawning, feeding and nursery grounds and serve as transit route for diadromous species migrating between marine and fresh water habitats. Environmental changes (e.g. climate change) and anthropogenic pressures (e.g. fisheries) will likely result in changes in the abundance and species composition of the fish fauna in the Wadden Sea. An overview of fish monitoring programs carried out in the Wadden Sea revealed 2 mayor limitations. Firstly, the spatial coverage of surveys targeting pelagic species is limited. Secondly, the seasonal coverage of the beam trawl surveys is limited. Improved spatial and seasonal coverage will provide more insight in the dynamics of fish populations in the Wadden Sea.