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The use of the rare earth element gadolinium (Gd) in contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging has led to a significant (micro-)contamination of riverine and coastal environments in many parts of the world. This study comprises a detailed investigation on the rare earth elements and yttrium inventory of the North Sea and also reports data for the major tributaries Thames, Rhine, Ems, Weser and Elbe. We show that large parts of the southern North Sea, including the Wadden Sea UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, are (micro)contaminated with Gd from Gd-based contrast agents (GBCA). Their dispersion reveals their estuarine input and allows to effectively track water masses and currents. The chemical persistence and conservative behavior of GBCA, coupled with the low detection limits of state-of-the-art analytical methods, makes the anthropogenic Gd a sensitive screening proxy for monitoring similarly stable, but potentially hazardous, persistent chemical/pharmaceutical substances in natural waters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Andrea Koschinsky reports financial support was provided by German Research Foundation. Michael Bau reports financial support was provided by European Union. Michael Bau reports financial support was provided by Research Council of Norway. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The AD 1634 North Sea storm is one of the most catastrophic storms along the Wadden Sea coast of Denmark. In this study we show how pre-1634 storm morphology exerted a strong control on the resulting post-storm coastal morphology. Erosional responses associated with the storm were barrier breaching, dune scarping and shoreface erosion and accretionary responses were washover deposition, shoreface healing and barrier-island formation. Local sediment sources appeared to have a particularly strong influence on post-storm coastal evolution and allowed a very rapid formation of a barrier shoal which resulted in several kilometres of coastal progradation. Sediment budgets suggest that formation of the barrier shoal was possible, but the sediment transport rates in the decades after the 1634 storm, must have been two to three times higher than present-day rates. The study demonstrates that catastrophic storms are capable of moving large amounts of sediments over relatively short time-periods and can create barrier shoals, whereas moderate storms mostly rework the shoal or barrier and create more local erosion and/or landward migration. Catastrophic storms substantially influence long-term and large-scale coastal evolution, and storms may positively contribute to the sediment budget and promote coastal progradation in coastal areas with longshore sediment convergence. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nematodes or roundworms represent one of the most diverse and dominant taxon in marine benthic habitats. Whereas a morphological identification of many species is challenging, the application of molecular markers represents a promising approach for species discrimination and identification. In this study, we used an integrative taxonomic approach, combining both molecular and morphological methods, to characterize nematodes of distinct sex and ontogenetic stages from three sampling sites of the North Sea. Morphospecies were discriminated after first visual determination, followed by a molecular analysis of the nuclear 28S rDNA: D2-D3 marker. By linking each sequence to a morphological voucher, discordant morphological identification was subjected to a so-called reverse taxonomic approach. Molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) and morphospecies were compared for all of the three sampling sites to assess concordance of methodology. In total, 32 MOTUs and 26 morphospecies were assigned, of which 12 taxa were identified as described species. Both approaches showed high concordance in taxon assignment (84.4 %) except for a cluster comprising various Sabatieria species. Our study revealed the high potential of the analyzed fragment as a useful molecular marker for the identification of the North Sea nematodes and highlighted the applicability of this combined taxonomic approach in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen incorporation into total particulate suspended matter, hydrolysable amino acids and bacterial biomarker d-Alanine was assessed seasonally in the coastal North Sea using 15N-labeled ammonium, nitrate, nitrite and 15N- and 13C-labeled urea, glycine, leucine, phenylalanine, and two complex pools of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from algal and bacterial cultures (A-DOM, B-DOM). We investigated: 1) uptake rates for the various substrates and their contribution to total N uptake; 2) microbial preferences for the different N sources; 3) the coupling of C and N uptake from organic substrates; 4) the contribution of bacteria to the total microbial uptake of these substrates, and 5) the role of a complex pool of organic matter for plankton nutrition. Seasonality in the preferences for N substrates was observed, with A-DOM and B-DOM being preferred in autumn and winter whereas NH 4+ was preferentially taken up in spring and summer. C and N uptake was coupled for all the organic substrates, except urea that was mainly used as a nitrogen source in summer and spring. Bacterial contribution to the uptake of A-DOM and B-DOM was, on an annual average, the lowest among the N-substrates. This suggests an important role for phytoplankton in the incorporation of complex organic matter and the importance of DOM for phytoplankton nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended microplastic and black carbon (BC) particles were determined in surface waters of the Jade system, southern North Sea, including freshwater sources. On average, 64 ± 194 granular particles, 88 ± 82 fibres and 30 ± 41 BC particles/L were recorded. Maximum numbers reached 1,770/L for granules, 650/L for fibres and 330/L for black carbon particles. The distribution along a transect from the inner to the outer part of the Jade system indicates granular particles to be dominant in the inner part, while fibres occur more prominently in the outer part. The distribution of BC particles was more uniform. All freshwater sources including sewage treatment plant effluents discharged microplastics, while BC was encountered only at two of nine discharge points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survival of the highly endangered, anadromous fish species North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus) depends on the correct timing of downstream dispersal during its early ontogenetic stages. To date, however, no studies have investigated the ontogenetic differentiation of swimming performance and behaviour, including the potential of habitat complexity to influence dispersal rates. By testing larval and juvenile North Sea houting in a laboratory, we examined (1) swimming performance measured as maximum swimming performance (Umax) and routine swimming speed (Uroutine) and (2) the potential of habitat complexity (i.e., cover providing shade) to influence dispersal behaviour in an indoor stream channel. The Umax and the Uroutine were 9.4 and 4.6cm s-1, respectively, in the larvae [body length (BL) s-1: 7.3 and 3.5, respectively], and 25.2 and 16.3 cm s-1 in the juveniles (BL s-1: 7.0 and 5.2, respectively). We compared laboratory swimming performance data with water speeds in North Sea houting spawning areas in the Danish River Vidaa. Results showed that the water speeds present in 95% and 85% of the water column caused downstream displacement of larvae and juveniles, respectively. However, areas with slow-flowing water near river banks and river beds could function as nursery habitats. Stream channel experiments showed that cover providing shade caused delayed dispersal in both larvae and juveniles, but the larvae dispersed later and spent less time under cover than the juveniles, a finding that implies ontogenetic effects. Finally, the larvae refused to cross an upstream-positioned cover, a behaviour that was not observed in the juveniles. Therefore, habitat complexity may have the potential to influence dispersal behaviour in both larval and juvenile North Sea houting. Overall, we provided the first evidence of ontogenetic differentiation in the North Sea houting. These findings will be valuable for the development and dissemination of science-based conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We analyzed long-term (19–21 years) surface elevation changes of salt marshes along the German mainland North Sea coast in a large and consistent data set (423 plots). Our aim was to determine the influence of 12 predictor variables, e.g. elevation, micro-topography and management data. For each plot, we measured elevation above sea level, once 1988–1990 and again 2009. The calculated surface elevation change per year (target variable SEC) was +0.6cmyr−1 on average. 85.8% of the plots showed positive SEC values. Although 11 predictors were significantly correlated to SEC, only five driving on different scales were included by the tree fitting algorithm when using regression tree analysis. The resulting tree model with 11 terminal nodes explained 45.7% proportion of the variance in SEC values. Plots tended to high SEC values when a) lying low in relation to mean high tide, b) being located in the northern regions of the study area, and c) lying in drainage ditches. d) Grazing management did account for SEC variance only in northern regions. e) SEC was enhanced on non-grazed plots lying high in relation to mean high tide. We concluded that most of the studied salt marshes may outpace a predicted sea-level rise of about 0.1–0.2cmyr−1, but barely half of the marsh areas might follow a sea-level rise of 0.6cmyr−1. Regression tree analysis is a useful approach for studying changes in elevation of salt marshes when considering various variables. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) have been introduced into the Wadden Sea (North Sea, Germany) in the mid of the 1980s and have invaded native blue mussel Mytilus edulis (L.) beds. The latter turned into oyster reefs where mussels seem to be relegated to the bottom in between the much larger oysters. By combining field and laboratory experiments, we reveal how mussels react to cohabitation with the invasive oysters. Mussels subjected to direct contact with crabs Carcinus maenas migrate from top to bottom positions between oysters in both field and laboratory experiments within 22days. Shell growth was significantly reduced for mussels placed on the bottom compared to mussels at the top of an oyster reef. Condition index was lower for mussels on the bottom of the reef irrespective of whether placed between dead or living oysters. We conclude that mussels experience a trade-off between survival and food supply and prefer to take refuge from predation even when this decreases growth and condition. This mechanism may have facilitated the take-over of C. gigas on M. edulis beds in the European Wadden Sea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to investigate biogeochemical cycling and dynamics of nutrients, measurement capabilities with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution are required. New ultraviolet-based methods and instrumentation for in situ determination of nitrate provide a powerful tool for these purposes. Here, we present a full dataset obtained by an UV-based process spectrophotometer (ProPS) during a cruise in 2008 in the south-eastern North Sea. Due to highly turbid conditions and mixing water masses, an improved calculation algorithm was performed on the UV absorption data. Nitrate concentrations ranged from 0 to 9μmol/L on very short timescales, mainly due to tidal effects. Comparison of continuous optical nitrate measurements was performed against conventional wet-chemical analyses of discrete water samples which lead to a standard deviation of 1.7μmol/L NO3 −. High resolution measurements performed at a tidal inlet demonstrated the capability to map nitrate dynamics in turbid coastal environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the tidal inlet of the back barrier area of Spiekeroog Island (Southern North Sea), nutrient concentrations (silica, phosphate, and nitrite plus nitrate) were determined hourly by an autonomously analysing system on a permanently installed time-series station from April 2006 to December 2008. Based on the high frequency of analyses we studied nutrient dynamics on annual, seasonal, and tidal time scales. By comparing the nutrient input to the tidal flat area via freshwater through a flood-gate and pore water discharge from tidal flat sediments, we conclude that nutrients are primarily supplied to the water column by pore water advection, while the freshwater contribution is negligible. To assess the annual nutrient contribution of our study area to the German Bight, we used a numerical Euler–Lagrangian model (EcoTiM) to calculate annual budgets of silica, phosphate, and nitrite plus nitrate. The model results indicate that the back barrier area of Spiekeroog Island exports inorganic silica (128⁎106 mola−1), phosphate (3⁎106 mola−1), and nitrite plus nitrate (29⁎106 mola−1) to the North Sea. Extrapolation of these data to the entire Wadden Sea along the Southern North Sea reveals that the back barrier areas export silica and phosphate in the same order of magnitude and nitrite plus nitrate one order of magnitude lower than the combined rivers Elbe, Weser, and Ems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Zero-valent sulfur species dynamics in tidal flat pools of Wadden Sea (North Sea) were studied. Concentrations of solid sulfur, colloidal sulfur of different particle sizes and distribution of inorganic polysulfide species were detected near the bottom of different pools as a function of time after detachment of the pool from sea. Concentrations of these species were detected also in the incubated sediment cores taken from the same site with the pumping of anoxic seawater, anoxic seawater spiked with sulfide and anoxic seawater spiked with lactate. Sulfide concentration in the pool increased during the first 2h of pool detachment from the sea to a maximum of 273µM. Polysulfides were present at the beginning of the detachment of the pool and higher concentrations of elemental sulfur and polysulfides lead to more rapid coagulation and precipitation of dispersed solid sulfur. The process of the formation of zero-valent sulfur began with the formation of polysulfides and colloidal sulfur with a particle size less than 5μm. Further coagulation led to an increase in the amount of colloidal sulfur with the particle size more than 5μm followed by crystallization of solid sulfur particles. Maximum concentration of colloidal sulfur detected in the pools was 73µM and that of solid sulfur was 25µM. Maximum concentration of the sum of all polysulfide species measured was 5.9µM, which corresponded to 23.1µM of detected polysulfide sulfur or to 27.7µM of polysulfide sulfur taking into account the calculated concentrations of species with concentration under detection limit. Polythionates were not detected. Levels of total zero-valent sulfur usually reached the value of 40µM, but can be even higher than 100µM. This depended on the overall concentration of sulfide. In the tidal pools, polysulfide chain lengths were short and the polysulfide system was found not to be in equilibrium with solid or colloidal sulfur at any time of pool detachment from sea. Flow-through incubation experiments, however, exhibited polysulfide in equilibrium with respect to rhombic sulfur. No difference in the polysulfide speciation was observed in experiments where sulfide was artificially added and sulfide was produced through enhanced bacterial sulfate reduction. The differences were attributed to the kinetics and to competing oxidation processes present in the exposed Wadden Sea tidal pools as compared to the longer running and more restricted incubation experiments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Wadden Sea, a shallow coastal area bordering the North Sea, is optically a complex area due to its shallowness, high turbidity and fast changes in concentrations of optically active substances. This study gathers information from the area on concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM), Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), on total absorption and beam attenuation, and on reflectances from the whole area. It examines the processes responsible for variations in these. Sampling took place at 156 stations in 2006 and 2007. At 37 locations also the specific inherent optical properties (SIOPs) were determined. Results showed large concentration ranges of 2–450(gm-3) for SPM, 2–67(mgm-3) for Chl-a, and 0–2.5m−1 for CDOM(440) absorption. Tides had a large influence on the SPM concentration, while Chl-a had a mainly seasonal pattern. Resuspension lead to a correlation between SPM and Chl-a. The absorption of CDOM had a spatial variability with extremely high values in the Dollard, although the slope of CDOM absorption spectra was comparable with that of the North Sea. The Chl-a specific pigment absorption proved to be influenced by phytoplankton species and specific absorption of non-algal particles at 440nm was correlated with the mud content of the soil at the sample locations. SPM specific absorption was not found to correlate with any measured factor. As the concentrations of optically active substances changed, we also found spatial and temporal variability in the absorption, beam attenuation and reflectances. Reflectance spectra categorized in groups with decreasing station water depths and with extreme CDOM and SPM concentrations showed distinguishable shapes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The spatial and temporal distributions of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was studied in the East-Frisian Wadden Sea (Southern North Sea) during several cruises between 2002 and 2005. The spatial distribution of CDOM in the German Bight shows a strong gradient towards the coast. Tidal and seasonal variations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) identify freshwater discharge via flood-gates at the coastline and pore water efflux from tidal flat sediments as the most important CDOM sources within the backbarrier area of the Island of Spiekeroog. However, the amount and pattern of CDOM and DOC is strongly affected by various parameters, e.g. changes in the amount of terrestrial run-off, precipitation, evaporation, biological activity and photooxidation. A decoupling of CDOM and DOC, especially during periods of pronounced biological activity (algae blooms and microbial activity), is observed in spring and especially in summer. Mixing of the endmembers freshwater, pore water, and open sea water results in the formation of a coastal transition zone. Whilst an almost conservative behaviour during mixing is observed in winter, summer data point towards non-conservative mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Measurements of methane (CH4) so far have always shown supersaturation in the entire North Sea relative to the atmospheric partial pressure and the distribution of surface CH4 reveals a distinct increase towards the shore. Since North Sea sediments presumably are an insignificant source for CH4 the coastal contribution via rivers and tidal flats gains in importance. In this work, CH4 data from the River Weser, the back barrier tidal flats of Spiekeroog Island (NW Germany), and the German Bight are presented. Results from the River Weser are compared to other rivers draining into the German Bight. Measurements in the tidal flat area of Spiekeroog Island highlight this ecosystem as an additional contributor to the overall CH4 budget of the southern North Sea. A tidally driven CH4 pattern is observed for the water column with maximum values during low tide. Tidal flat sediments turn out to be the dominating source because pore waters discharged during low tide are highly enriched in CH4. In contrast, the freshwater contribution to the tidal flats by small coastal tributaries has almost no impact on water column CH4 concentrations. The CH4 level seems to be disturbed irregularly by wind forcing due to elevated degassing and prevention of advective flow when tidal flats remain covered by water. Based on our data, two model calculations were used to estimate the impact of tidal flats on the CH4 budget in the German Bight. Our results demonstrate that the back barrier tidal flats of the east Frisian Wadden Sea contribute CH4 in an order of magnitude between the Wash estuary and River Elbe and thus have to be considered in budget calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tidal effects on the composition of free-living (FL) and particle-associated (PA) bacterial communities were studied in a tidal flat ecosystem in the southern North Sea. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis targeting the 16S rRNA gene and the 16S rRNA of Bacteria, Bacteroidetes, Alphaproteobacteria and the Roseobacter clade was applied. Despite strong tidal variations in the quantity and, depending on the season, also the quality of suspended matter as well as variations in bacterial activity, the bacterial community composition remained rather stable. FISH showed some variations of the community composition, but these were not related to typical tidal situations. Variations were higher during tidal cycles in May and July compared with November. Bacteroidetes, Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria constituted the majority of the bacterial communities but relative proportions of the different groups varied considerably. On particles, Betaproteobacteria were also detected to substantial proportions. The Roseobacter clade constituted up to 90% of FL but only 30% of PA Alphaproteobacteria. Banding patterns of the Bacteroidetes-specific amplicons, and in particular those targeting the 16S rRNA, revealed tidally induced effects, as several bands appeared or disappeared at distinct events such as slack water or resuspension. Sequencing of prominent bands revealed predominantly phylotypes reported previously from this ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During deteriorated prey availability, purely pelagic, specialised seabird species have to alter their feeding strategy by extending foraging radii and/or time spent at sea or reducing feeding intervals of chicks. In contrast, more generalised species such as the opportunistic black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) breeding at the German North Sea coast, can be assumed to react on prey shortages by switching foraging habitats. The coastal zone of the German North Sea provides a rich habitat mosaic consisting of the offshore zone, tidal flats and terrestrial habitats. Thus, we expected distinct temporal and spatial patterns of habitat switch in accordance with prey availability and environmental constraints. We carried out ship-based and aerial surveys as well as dietary analyses and observations on flight activity. We found a significant switch from terrestrial to marine feeding sites both on a daily basis (related to tidal cycle) and over the whole breeding season. Most likely, the latter switch is the result of lower prey availability in the terrestrial habitats and an increasing quality (in terms of prey abundance and energy intake) of the marine area. While there was only moderate variability in habitat use among different years, we revealed significant differences in the diet of birds from different colonies. The high dietary plasticity and flexible feeding strategy, switching between terrestrial and marine prey is certainly of major importance for the success of an opportunistic avian top predator in a complex coastal zone. It is suggested that – compared to situations elsewhere – the number of breeding pairs of black-headed gulls in the German North Sea coast are still stable due to the switch of foraging habitats performed by individuals in this region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Parasite spillover from invasive aliens to native species increases the risk of disease emergence within native biota-either by direct harm to the new host or by indirect effects like increased risks of secondary infection. One example for such a detrimental effect is the parasitic copepod Mytilicola intestinalis that infected blue mussels Mytilus edulis after being introduced into the North Sea in the early 20th century. Since 1949, the parasite was blamed for multiple mass mortalities of infested blue mussels but evidence for a direct causal involvement of M. intestinalis remained circumstantial. Here, we now examine the potential effects of primary infections by the invasive parasite on the susceptibility to secondary infections with virulent bacteria (Vibrio spp.) in a full factorial infection experiment combining parasite infection (control vs. infected) with different Vibrio infection treatments (control, bath challenge, injection) in environmental conditions that either favoured the host (ambient temperature) or the bacterium (elevated temperature). The influence of primary and secondary infections on cellular immunity (phagocytosis) and Vibrio load in the haemolymph was used to correlate these results to host survival. Our results suggest that the rate of secondary Vibrio infection is increased due to lower efficiency of the cellular immune response. As a consequence, the failure of clearing Vibrio from the haemolymph might increase mortality of mussels infected by M. intestinalis. This demonstrates that indirect effects of parasite invasions can outweigh direct effects of the infection highlighting the need for a more integrative approach to understand and predict the consequences of parasite invasions., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society.)

On samples recovered from trench profiles on Neuwerk, a little island on the German North Sea coast, palynology, heavy metal and cesium analyses were carried out in order to reveal the historical development of the island. All three analytical approaches yielded good resultswith regard to the relatively recent developments. The cesium determinations suggest that sedimentation during most of the last fifty years has been in the order of 2.1 mm/yr, but under the influence of increased storm surge heights and frequencies has recently accelerated to about 6.0-7.5 mm/yr. The earlier history of the island is revealed by stratigraphical investigations. A clear sequence of vegetation succession is recorded, which is followed by a series of plant communities maintained by animal grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]