Tropical coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass beds and sandy or rubble substrates form interconnected habitats that support a wide variety of reef fish species and provide important ecosystem services. Understanding how fish communities differ across these habitats is crucial for improving …

Oyster reefs were once abundant in European waters, but they are now rare. In Zeeland, the wild population of the native flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) has declined significantly in recent decades, with serious implications for coastal water health in relation to biodiversity and water quality (Colsoul …

The Netherlands is a densely populated and economically developed country. Coastal areas are important for aquaculture, agriculture, harbors, and urban development. Coastal habitats mainly exist on the south Delta coast and the north Wadden sea, hosting a great biological diversity. The Netherlands had …

Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems in the world, in terms of both biological diversity and economy. These ecosystems are under a great amount of threats (e.g. climate change, pollution, coastal development and overfishing), which can lead to reef degradation and decrease of three-dimensional …

Coastal lagoon ecosystems are transitional waters, that provide important ecological features and deliver valuable services to mankind. However, due to their geographical positioning at the coast line and physical restrictions, coastal lagoon ecosystems are highly vulnerable towards environmental and …

Coastal soft-sediment habitats are some of the most valued ecosystems due to their high productivity, sustaining coastal food webs. However, coastal soft-sediment habitats are under pressure due to human activity and sea level rise. To preserve or restore soft-sediment habitats different management strategies …

This final research is conducted as a bachelor thesis of the programme Delta Management at the HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen, Netherlands and is executed at the Coastal Conservation Institute (ICC) in the coastal municipality of São Sebastião in Brazil. The municipality is located on …

Coastal and marine ecosystems are subject to threats of many anthropogenic pressures. This report presents a first attempt to adapt a method in order to quantify and spatially visualize the distribution and intensity of cumulative anthropogenic pressures for the Alcúdia Bay on Majorca. The applied method …

The Arctic Ocean stands at the threshold of significant changes. Climate change and the melting of ice have a potential impact on vulnerable ecosystems, the livelihoods of local inhabitants and indigenous communities, and the potential exploitation of natural resources. (Ilulissat Declaration, 2008, …