Environmental problem solving in coastal ecosystems: A paradigm shift to sustainability

The human ecological footprint now extends to the entire globe, and human impacts are the dominant feature of many ecosystems, resulting in our current era being coined the ‘anthropocene’. This is particularly apparent in coastal ecosystems as human populations are increasing rapidly in coastal cities and the ecosystem services in these areas are rapidly being compromised. Science has historically progressed as a series of paradigm shifts and this paper reviews this history of paradigm shifts and makes the case that the next major paradigm shift will be directed at sustainability, resulting in a shift in scientific focus on solving rather than just studying our current environmental problems. Traditionally, science has been extremely effective at data acquisition and then successively less effective at translating this into information, knowledge and finally environmental problem solving. The currently required paradigm shift is to focus on environmental problem solving, filling gaps in knowledge, information and data only as required to solve a particular problem. A key element in turning this process around is better science communication between scientists, key stakeholders and the community. This will require more ‘science communicators’ who can use credibility, tenacity, creativity and virtue to effect solutions.     

Global extent and distribution of artificial, residential waterways in estuaries

Artificial residential waterways are now widespread in the world’s estuaries. We used the global mapping tool, Google Earth, to determine that there are nearly 4000 linear km of artificial waterways globally, covering an area of 270 km². Residential waterways constructed as open, flow-through canal estates are at their greatest extent in North America (77% of global linear extent), where systems are typically longer and narrower, with more openings and dead-ends than systems elsewhere. The remaining canal estates are spread across all other continents except Antarctica: Asia (7%), Europe (7%), Oceania (7%), South America (0.9%), and Africa (0.6%). A relatively recent design change from open canals to artificial estuarine lakes with tidal barriers has occurred on all continents except Africa, most extensively in Australia (14 km² area, 57 independent systems). The extremely large expansion in artificial residential waterways aimed at increasing opportunities for waterfront living by humans has also modified and expanded estuarine habitat available to aquatic biota. Research can best underpin planning and management of these types of waterways by focussing on their value as habitat and their provision of other goods and services.     

Turbulent mixing in a small estuary: Detailed measurements

Between 2003 and 2007, a series of field studies were performed in a typical small coastal plain type estuary (Eprapah Creek) located on the Southeast coast of Australia. The aim of these field studies was to investigate the turbulence and turbulent mixing properties in the estuarine zone. During these studies, high frequency turbulence and physio-chemistry data were collected continuously over a relatively long duration (up to 50 h). This article provides a summary of the key outcomes of these studies, highlighting the implications that these findings have on the modelling of small estuaries. The studies showed that the response of the turbulence and water quality properties were distinct under spring and neap tidal forcing and behaved differently in the middle and upper estuarine zones. The behaviour of turbulence properties to spring tidal forcing differed from that observed in larger estuaries and seemed unique to small estuarine systems. An investigation of several key turbulence parameters used in the modelling of estuarine mixing showed that many assumptions used in larger estuaries must be applied with caution or are simply untrue in small estuaries. For example the assumption that the mixing coefficient parameters are constant over the tidal cycle in a small estuary is simply untrue. These distinctions between the turbulence and mixing properties in small and large estuarine systems highlight the need for the continued study of small estuaries, so this type of system can be properly understood.     

Nutrient land–sea fluxes in oligothrophic and pristine estuaries of the Gulf of Bothnia,Baltic Sea

Estuaries are often seen as important filters between land and the sea for inorganic and organic nutrients. This paper aims at estimating the estuarine fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and dissolved silicate for the major oligothrophic and pristine rivers running into the Bothnian Bay (BB) and the Bothnian Sea (BS), the northern subarctic subbasins of the Baltic Sea. Long-term data sets for these rivers and their estuaries as well as for the BB and BS were analyzed to assess whether these estuaries are sinks for inorganic nutrients. Most studied estuaries can be characterized as salt wedge estuaries with little exchange between the fresh seaward-flowing river water and the inward-flowing seawater. Estimates of water transit times ranged between 1 and 14 days. In most estuaries of the BB, N-depleted river water meets P-depleted seawater during the growth period. These findings were corroborated by mixing diagrams showing that the inner areas of the estuaries were N-depleted in summer. In the BS, on the other hand, both rivers and seawater were mostly N-depleted during summer. Thus, for most estuaries of this region of the Baltic Sea, primary productivity is presumably lower than or equal to that of offshore. The low productivity is also reflected in the sediments. The coastal sediments did not differ from the offshore stations in accumulation rates as well as the content of organic matter and nutrients, indicating that estuarine nutrient burial is not always higher as normally observed in other temperate systems. Finally, the estuaries of the pristine rivers in the northernmost part of the BB import DIN during summer, whereas the estuaries of the rivers in the BS import DIP during winter, from the sea.     

Biogeochemical factors influencing the residence time of microconstituents in a large tidal estuary, Delaware Bay

Generally the large tidal estuaries of the eastern United States, such as Delaware Bay, are characterized by rather high suspended particle concentrations at the landward end and high biological activity at the seaward end. As such, these estuaries can be conceptualized as geochemical and biochemical “reactors” for those processes controlling the transmission of trace elements from fresh to the coastal shelf waters. The efficiency of these reaction processes relative to estuarine flushing will control the residence times of microconstituents in such estuaries.Evidence is drawn from the Delaware estuary to illustrate biogeochemical estuarine reaction processes using salinity distribution data and mass balance calculations. The Delaware retains some of its estuarine trace elements as sedimented estuarine particles, while others are more conservative and largely exported. Those retained by sedimenting processes include trace elements in primarily geochemical (particle reactive) chemistries, while those exported appear recycled by biochemical (nutrient reactive) chemistries. Often, the behavior of trace elements (e.g., Fe, Cd) and nutrients (e.g., PO₄) appear biogeochemically linked. Other examples are drawn from mixing studies to illustrate particle interaction, and benthic flux measurements to illustrate limited diagenetic reflux.The residence time of estuarine microconstituents should depend seasonally on the relative turbidity, flushing rate, and primary production of tidally dominated estuaries such as the Delaware. Thus, residence times of the more biogeochemically reactive microconstituents must be substantially shorter (days to weeks) than the average flushing times of these larger estuaries, while the residence times of the less reactive ones should approach such flushing times (weeks to months). True estuarine residence times of microconstituents can only be modeled after using large data sets averaged over time (season, tides) and space (salinity).     

Seasonal differences in the physiology of Carcinus maenas (Crustacea: Decapoda) from estuaries with varying levels of anthropogenic contamination

This study reports the seasonal variability in aspects of the physiology of the shore crab Carcinus maenas from three estuaries in South-west England, each with varying anthropogenic inputs: Avon Estuary (‘relatively low’ impact), Yealm Estuary (‘intermediate’ impact) and Plym Estuary (‘relatively high’ impact). Crabs collected over 12 months from the Avon had a significantly ‘lower’ physiological condition in winter and spring compared to summer and autumn; in particular, haemocyte phagocytic capability (a general indicator of immune function) was significantly higher in winter and spring compared to summer and autumn, and total haemolymph antioxidant status (an indicator of oxidative stress) was significantly lower in winter compared to the remainder of the year. Potentially, shore crabs may be more susceptible to the effects of contaminant exposure, such as increased immunotoxicity (thus, reduction of immune function) and/or oxyradicals (or reactive oxygen species) exposure) especially in seasons of increased susceptibility i.e. summer/autumn (lower phagocytic capability) and winter (lowest antioxidant function). As the Avon was taken to represent the ‘reference’ site, this pattern is considered to reflect the ‘normal’ seasonal variability in shore crab physiology. Shore crab physiological condition from the ‘relatively high’ impact estuary (Plym) revealed increased cellular viability and antioxidant status in autumn and winter compared with that of the ‘standard’ pattern (Avon) However, crabs from the intermediate impact estuary (Yealm) only demonstrated significant physiological differences in summer as shown by a lower cellular viability. All crabs had been exposed to PAHs (confirmed by the presence of PAH metabolites in their urine) which may account for the observed differences in shore crab physiology. In conclusion, to aid understanding of the potential contaminant impacts on biota it is imperative that the ’normal’ seasonal variability of physiological condition be established. Biological effects-based monitoring studies should therefore be employed seasonally to potentially highlight ‘windows of sensitivity’ to contaminant impact.     

Estimation of the role of biogeochemical barriers in trace metal migration in the river-sea system

The role of biogeochemical barriers as areas of an estuary with dramatically changing gradients of water characteristics in trace metal (TM) migration in the river-sea system, and the influence of physical, chemical, biological factors and corresponding barrier zones on the transport of TM in estuaries is considered. The effects of surface water pH (the Yuriev River — the Okhotsk Sea estuarine system), salinity and biological productivity (the Razdolnaya River — the Japan Sea estuarine system) on the behavior of some metals are demonstrated as the examples of different types of estuarine biogeochemical barriers.     

Fish composition and assemblage structure in three Eastern English Channel macrotidal estuaries: A comparison with other French estuaries

This study has analysed for the first time fish composition and assemblage structures of three small macrotidal estuaries of the Eastern English Channel (EEC) and has explored the influences of 19 biotic and abiotic variables on the fish assemblages. Fish from Canche, Authie and Somme estuaries were collected during spring (June 2006 and May 2007) and autumn (September 2006) along the estuarine gradients using a 1.5 m beam trawl. Using identical sampling protocols, the study also analysed and compared for the first time taxonomic and functional aspects of the fish assemblages in 15 estuaries located along the Atlantic and English Channel coasts. SIMPER analysis showed high similarities in fish assemblages in the three EEC estuaries and during either spring or autumn periods. However, intra-estuary similarities were relatively low, indicating that fish assemblage structures (species richnesses or abundances) were more variable within the estuary (salinity gradient) than between estuaries and/or seasons (spring vs autumn). Although numerous environmental variables were included in the study, only 47% of the variability observed in the fish distribution was explained. Fish spatial variations in the EEC estuaries are mostly driven by abiotic variables as opposed to biological interactions. As indicated by CCA, salinity and muddy sediments were the two most important factors structuring the fish assemblages. The macrobenthos being very abundant in the EEC estuaries (580–1121 ind. m⁻²), the availability of potential prey is probably not a limiting factor in the utilization of estuaries by fish. Contrary to the majority of French estuaries dominated by estuarine species (ES), the fish assemblages of the EEC estuaries are clearly dominated by marine migrant (MM) species (65% on average) with high abundance of juveniles (mostly young-of-the-year). Cluster and SIMPROF's analyses distinguished the functional structure of the 15 estuarine fish assemblages into different clusters. The three EEC estuaries form a similar group with the largest French estuaries (Seine, Loire and Gironde). The latters were characterized by higher MM/ES ratio compared to the other French estuaries. Freshwater flow and tidal range were the main factors associated with this group of estuaries. The results of the present study do not indicate that anthropogenic impacts (chemical contamination) on estuaries affect their ecological functioning as described by the fish ecological guilds. It is suggested that the guild approach may not be useful to provide valuable information on the ecological status of estuaries.     

Numerical Simulation of phytoplankton productivity in partially mixed estuaries

A two-dimensional steady-state model of light-driven phytoplankton productivity and biomass in partially mixed estuaries has been developed. Effects of variations in river flow, suspended sediment concentration, phytoplankton sinking, self-shading and growth rates on distributions of phytoplankton biomass and productivity are investigated.Numerical simulation experiments show that biomass and productivity are particularly sensitive to variations in suspended sediment concentrations typical of natural river sources and to variations in loss rates assumed to be realistic but poorly known for real systems. Changes in the loss rate term within the range of empirical error (such as from dark bottle incubation experiments) cause phytoplankton biomass to change by a factor of two. In estuaries with adequate light penetration in the water column, it could be an advantage for phytoplankton to sink. Species that sink increase their concentration and form a phytoplankton maximum in a way similar to the formation of the estuarine turbidity maximum. When attenuation is severe, however, sinking species have more difficulty in maintaining their population.     

Ecological classification of European transitional waters in the North-East Atlantic eco-region

A new methodology to classify European North-East Atlantic transitional waters into ecological types has been developed based on the most important hydrological and morphological features that are likely to determine the ecology of aquatic systems in transitional waters. Hydrological indicators help identifying if a transitional water area is dominated by fresh or sea water and/or by intertidal or subtidal areas, while morphological indicators allow an estimation of the complexity of the transitional water and the diversity of the habitats involved. Twelve transitional waters of the southern Bay of Biscay were classified using this methodology and the five hydro-morphological types obtained were validated with benthic macro-invertebrate data. Transitional waters with a complex morphology showed the highest values of species diversity, while those with a smaller tidal influence showed lower species diversity. The ‘Scrobicularia’ and ‘Abra’ assemblages, previously identified in the study area, were found to be related to different types of transitional waters. The ‘Abra’ assemblage only appeared in estuaries with a complex morphology and dominated by tidal influences, while the ‘Scrobicularia’ assemblage was detected in all the transitional waters except for a single coastal lagoon. This classification of transitional waters may therefore be useful to establish the biological reference conditions needed for European Directives.     

Variation in organotin accumulation in relation to the life history in the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

In order to examine the ecological risks caused by organotin compounds (OTs) in diadromous fish migrating between sea and freshwaters, tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) compounds and their breakdown products were determined in the catadromous eel Anguilla japonica, which has sea, estuarine and river life histories, collected in Japanese sea, brackish and freshwaters within the same region. Ontogenic changes in otolith strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) concentrations were examined along the life history transect to discriminate the migration type. There were generally three different patterns, which were categorized as ‘sea eels’, ‘estuarine eels’ and ‘river eels’ according to the otolith Sr:Ca ratio. The concentrations of TBT in silver eels (mature eels) were significantly higher than that in yellow eels (immature eels), and the percentages of TBT were also higher in silver eels than in yellow eels. A positive correlation was found between TBT concentration and the gonad-somatic index (GSI). It is thus considered that silver eels have a higher risk of contamination by TBT than yellow eels. TBT and TPT concentrations in sea eels were significantly higher than those in river eels, while no significant differences were observed in TBT and TPT concentrations in estuarine eels compared to sea and river eels. These results suggest that sea eels have a higher ecological risk of OT contamination than river eels during their life history, and the risk of OTs in estuarine eels is considered to be intermediate between that of sea and river eels. Positive linear relationships were found between Sr:Ca ratios and the concentrations of TBT and TPT. Therefore, these results suggest that the ecological risk of OTs increase as the sea residence period in the eel becomes longer. TBT and TPT concentrations in sea eels were significantly higher than those in river eels even at the same growth stage. Thus, it is clear that migratory type is the most important factor for OT accumulation during the life history.     

The Need for Definitions in Understanding Estuaries

This paper considers what the definition/classification of estuaries has taught us and why there is a need for classification systems. It further considers why we need to define an estuary and its constituent parts, including the fundamental difficulty and dilemma of trying to define parts of a continuum, as a means to both understanding and managing that estuary. The review considers where an estuary starts and ends and the relative merits of defining estuaries in terms of their biology, physics, chemistry, geographic nature and socio-economic units. It briefly discusses the need for legal and planning definitions and the linkages between science and management. Following this, we present a generic framework for the definition, classification, monitoring, assessment, reporting and management of estuaries. In particular, it is argued that scientists should engage in the debate on the definition of estuaries for legal and socio-economic purposes. It is concluded here that as existing definitions will never be suitable for all needs, a different approach is required. The proposed ‘ Expert Judgement Checklist Approach ’ could provide guidance for those needing to define/delimit an estuary while still acknowledging the inherent variability of such systems. The proposed system mostly relates to the European, temperate estuary, but there are lessons here for estuaries worldwide.     

The characteristics of the nematode faunas in subtidal sediments of a large microtidal estuary and nearshore coastal waters differ markedly

The present study examines traditional paradigms regarding the differences between faunas in estuaries vs coastal waters. The ecological characteristics of the free-living nematode faunas of nearshore, subtidal sediments in downstream and upstream areas of the large, microtidal Swan River Estuary are compared with those similarly recorded seasonally in subtidal sediments along an adjacent part of the coast of temperate south-western Australia. Overall, the nematode species richness recorded in the upstream (38) and downstream estuarine areas (58) and from throughout the estuary (61) were substantially less than in marine waters (75). In addition, the value for Simpson’s diversity index was marginally less in the estuary and the dominance of the most abundant species greater. In contrast, the mean nematode species richness and diversity in individual cores followed the reverse trend, reflecting a combination of less variability among the species compositions and far greater densities in the cores from estuarine sediments. Furthermore, the mean density (numbers 10 cm⁻²) was far higher in both upstream (341) and downstream (903) areas of the estuary than in marine waters (87). Although the compositions of the assemblages in upstream and downstream estuarine areas differed markedly from each other at the species, genus and family levels, these differences were less pronounced than those between either of these areas and marine waters. The trophic compositions at the moderately sheltered and fully exposed marine sites differed from that in both areas of the estuary, whereas that at the most sheltered marine site was similar to that in the downstream estuarine area, with both containing substantial proportions of epistrate-grazing species. The variations among the species richness, diversity, densities and taxonomic and trophic compositions of nematode assemblages in the sediments of the two estuarine areas and nearby marine waters appear to reflect differences in 1) salinity regimes, 2) extents of exposure to wave action and its related effects and 3) amounts and types of food available to nematodes.     

The impact of river flooding and high flow on the demersal fish assemblages of the freshwater-dominated Great Fish Estuary,South Africa

Freshwater inflow has a strong impact on the biological, chemical and physical characteristics of estuaries, which in turn affect the distribution and abundance of estuarine organisms. Increased climatic variability associated with climate change is predicated to modify precipitation patterns, which will likely intensify floods in estuaries. The demersal fish assemblage of the freshwater-dominated Great Fish Estuary, South Africa, was sampled using beam trawls, monthly, from December 2013 to November 2014. The first six months of the study were characterised by river flooding and high flow, with estuarine conditions found only in the mouth region; this was followed by six months of intermediate flow, with estuarine conditions recorded up to 10 km from the mouth. River flooding and subsequent reduced salinity resulted in a decrease in species richness and abundances of fishes in the estuary, with only two estuarine species (Glossogobius callidus and Psammogobius knysnaensis) and one marine migrant (Solea turbynei) recorded following river flooding (201 m³ s^?1), in January 2014. The greatest species richness and abundances among both marine and estuarine fishes were recorded during intermediate flow conditions. We conclude that although freshwater inflow into estuaries is important for the nursery function of these systems, flooding—especially in freshwater-dominated estuaries—may cause a temporary decline in the abundance of most marine and estuarine fish species, including important bentho-pelagic marine migrant fishery species, such as Argyrosomus japonicus and Pomadasys commersonnii.     

‘Human-dolphin (Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821) cooperative fishery’ and its influence on cast net fishing activities in Barra de Imbé/Tramandaí, Southern Brazil

‘Human-dolphin (Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821) cooperative fishery’ and its influence on cast net fishing activities in Barra de Imbé/Tramandaí, Southern Brazil - aims to describe ‘fishing with dolphins’ or ‘botos’ (Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821), its importance in mullet fishing in conjunction with the traditional knowledge of artisanal fishermen, and the negative economic impact that tourism has had on mullet fishing in Barra de Imbé/Tramandaí (29°58′S 50°07′W). In November and December of 2009, 22 artisanal fishermen associated with the Tramandaí Fishermen’s Union were interviewed. During these interviews, questionnaires were employed utilizing both open and closed questions that dealt with behavioral ecology, biological and interactional issues related to bottlenose dolphins, and small-scale fishing in the region. All those interviewed described “boto fishing,” in which bottlenose dolphins “helped out the fishermen.” According to these interviews, this kind of fishing, marked by close interaction between humans and ‘botos,’ allows nets to be cast fewer times and with captured fish yields that are greater than, when there is no dolphin is present. The fishermen maintain that this increased productivity results from ‘botos’ showing them exactly where the schools of fish are located below the water surface. This has made it possible to observe the impact that dolphin fishing has on the monthly incomes of these fishermen, and there is concern among fishermen, that the intense tourism may one day contribute to the disappearance of the ‘boto,’ a situation, they believe would negatively affect their fishing activities.     

长江口细颗粒泥沙絮凝作用及其制约因素研究

简要介绍了人海河口细颗粒泥沙的絮凝机理;以长江口细颗粒泥沙絮凝作用的研究为例,概述了影响河口细颗粒泥沙絮凝的若干因子;着重介绍了长江口水体生物地球化学过程对于细颗粒泥沙絮凝作用影响的研究进展。在此基础上,结合国内外相关研究的最新进展以及河口工程与环境中的泥沙问题,提出未来工作设想。     

Characteristics and landcover of estuarine boundaries: implications for the delineation of the South African estuarine functional zone

This study investigated whether the current lateral boundary for estuaries in South Africa, i.e. the estuarine functional zone (EFZ), includes all estuarine habitats. The EFZ covers 173 930 ha in 304 estuaries/outlets nationally. Field surveys and analysis of available aerial images showed that 82 (12 956.70 ha) of these estuaries (26%) had estuarine habitats occurring outside of this boundary. As a result of mapping scale, the National Vegetation Map does not represent habitats that are associated with small estuaries (approximately 50% of South Africa's estuaries). For estuaries in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces, most habitats have been lost due to urban development, whereas in subtropical areas (northern Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal), cultivation has removed estuarine habitat. Although delineation of boundaries can be complicated by landcover changes, the estuarine lateral boundary in Cape estuaries could be identified based on sediment characteristics (moisture content, organic content, electrical conductivity), groundwater characteristics (salinity, conductivity and depth) and plant species. The delineation of the EFZ needs to be consistent, inclusive of all estuarine physical and biological processes, and cost-effective to identify so that it can protect estuarine habitats.     

The tower of Babel: Different perceptions and controversies on change and status of North Sea fish stocks in multi-stakeholder settings

Fishermen, scientists, national policy makers, and staff of environmental NGOs (ENGOs) hold different perceptions about temporal patterns in fish stocks. Perception differences are problematic in multi-stakeholder settings, because they elicit controversies and unbalanced disputes. These hinder effective participation, a prerequisite for ‘good governance’ and effective management of sustainable fisheries. This study shows that perceptions of change (‘does the stock increase or decrease?’) and of current status of a fish stock (‘is it doing well or not?’) are influenced by the capturing and processing of information, rather than by interests alone. We focused on the Dutch North Sea fishery on plaice and sole and examined (1) availability and accessibility of information on temporal patterns of these stocks and (2) perception differences between all parties. A first explanation for these differences is the use of different parameters as a measure for stock size. Fishermen focus on catch rates or catch-per-unit-effort (relative stock size), whereas scientists, policy makers, and ENGO-staff mainly use scientific assessments of spawning stock biomass (absolute stock size). Between-group perception differences are further explained by spatial aggregation levels of information, lengths of time series evaluated, and by modes of comparison to qualify the current status of fish stocks. Awareness of information differences and the development of shared information use and processing may release some of the tensions in multi-stakeholder settings debating fisheries management. However, comprehension problems amongst all parties on how spawning stock biomass is reconstructed and how it relates to catch rates in the fishery may pose an enduring barrier.     

Towards a ‘new form of governance’ in science-policy relations in the European Maritime Policy

This article seeks to identify the key principles that should guide the definition of the mandate and institutional structure for acquiring scientific advice in support of the European Maritime Policy. The EU has stated that, as concerns the Maritime Policy, the relations between science and policy ought to reflect a ‘new form of governance’. Far from being an easy task, however, the EU has observed that there are problems of credibility and legitimacy in the relations between science and society (including policymakers), which first need to be overcome. Against this background, the article draws on some of the newest conceptual and empirical research on science-policy relations, which has sought to analyse and ultimately provide frameworks for overcoming such challenges. On this basis, the article investigates the principles that need to be applied to constitute a ‘new form of governance’ as a means of paving the way toward a more credible and legitimate use of scientific data, information and knowledge within policymaking and implementation processes.     

Overlapping distributions of cryptic Scoloplos cf. armiger species in the western Wadden Sea

Unknowingly lumping cryptic species in biological monitoring studies hinders progress in understanding their functioning in a wide range of research fields including population dynamics, ecophysiology and community ecology. The common polychaete worm Scoloplos cf. armiger is a cryptic species complex comprising entirely different developmental modes: holobenthic and pelago-benthic development. In the northeast Atlantic, three putative species have been described on the basis of molecular data and a breeding study. We report on the development of a fast genotyping assay and on the occurrence and distribution of different molecular types in the western Wadden Sea. The genotyping assay consists of PCR-RFLP analysis by two enzymes of a mitochondrial (cox3-trnQ-nad6) DNA segment. A new, fourth type was observed and this was the only type whose geographical distribution was not uniform but instead skewed toward the eastern part of the study area. All three hitherto known types were also observed and these three displayed a significant difference in depth distribution within the study area. This is the first ecological difference reported for the ‘Subtidal Clade’ (SC) versus the ‘Type Locality Clade’ (TLC). The new type (‘Intertidal Clade 2’) had a similar distribution to what is known as the Intertidal Clade (IC). However, the most striking observation is the large degree of overlap between the depth distributions in the western Wadden Sea, where the clade names ‘Intertidal’ and ‘Subtidal’ do not necessarily reflect local species composition. The necessity to genotype Scoloplos cf. armiger in monitoring programs is emphasized.