Hoffmann Tom K, Pfennings Kai, Hitzegrad Jan, Paul Maike, Wehrmann Achim, Goseberg Nils, Schlurmann Torsten
Leibniz Universität Hannover, Ludwig Franzius Institute for Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering, Hannover, Germany.
Marine Research Department, Senckenberg am Meer, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 27;15(1):18518. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-03326-8.
Biogenic structures such as oyster reefs and mussel beds can enhance sedimentation and promote the expansion of intertidal flats in the German Wadden Sea. This study presents large-scale measurements of sedimentation at biogenic structures that depend on biological activities, the hydrodynamic environment and surface roughness. As the surface roughness of intertidal flats has changed with the bioinvasion of the Pacific oyster and the resulting transformation of mussel beds into oyster reefs, we hypothesised that sedimentation rates vary between these structures. To quantify the extent of sedimentation over time, we surveyed bivalve-covered intertidal flats in 2020 and 2022 and generated digital models of the structures and surrounding terrain. The sediment accumulation rates for the mussel bed and oyster reefs reached 3.9 cm³/(cm²*y), with higher rates observed within the mussel bed than within the oyster reefs. Generally, biogenic structures at lower elevations experienced higher sediment accumulation rates. All accumulation rates exceeded previously reported rates for intertidal flats and the current rate of sea level rise in the Wadden Sea. Our findings suggest that oyster reefs and mussel beds have comparable effects on sediment accumulation, supporting the persistence of intertidal flats and thus helping to stabilise the Wadden Sea.
诸如牡蛎礁和贻贝床之类的生物成因结构能够增强沉积作用，并促进德国瓦登海潮间带滩涂的扩张。本研究展示了对依赖生物活动、水动力环境和表面粗糙度的生物成因结构处沉积作用的大规模测量。由于潮间带滩涂的表面粗糙度随着太平洋牡蛎的生物入侵以及由此导致的贻贝床转变为牡蛎礁而发生了变化，我们推测这些结构之间的沉积速率有所不同。为了量化随时间推移的沉积程度，我们在2020年和2022年对覆盖双壳贝类的潮间带滩涂进行了调查，并生成了这些结构及周边地形的数字模型。贻贝床和牡蛎礁的沉积物堆积速率达到3.9立方厘米/（平方厘米·年），贻贝床内的速率高于牡蛎礁内的速率。一般来说，海拔较低处的生物成因结构经历了更高的沉积物堆积速率。所有堆积速率均超过了此前报道的潮间带滩涂速率以及瓦登海当前的海平面上升速率。我们的研究结果表明，牡蛎礁和贻贝床对沉积物堆积具有类似的影响，有助于潮间带滩涂的存续，从而有助于稳定瓦登海。
