Ecological stud y o f foreshore nourishm ent at the Flemish coast
Colson Liesbet', Gert Van Hoey2, Jan Vanaverbeke1 and Magda V in cx1
1 Marine Biology Research group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 2 81 -S8, 9000 Gent, Belgium
E-mail: Liesbet.colson@ uqent.be
2 In stitu u t vom or Landbouw- en Visserij Onderzoek (ILVO), Eenheid Dier, A nkerstraat 1, 8400
Oostende, Belgiu
In the fram e w o rk o f ‘ Masterplan K ustveiligheid’ o f the Flemish governm ent, weak spots at the
Flemish coast w ill be managed to increase our coastal safety. One o f the solutions is beach
nourishm ent, w hereby sand is dropped on the beaches to compensate beach erosion fo r a period o f
5 years. To o ptim ize the maintenance o f these nourishm ents (techniques, longevity, costs and
managem ent) in the future, alternatives w ill be investigated. One option is foreshore nourishm ent
on which a p ilo t study was set up at Raversijde-Mariakerke (Belgium).
Foreshore nourishm ent w ill influence the state o f the marine ecosystem in one or another way.
Therefore, a m on itoring program m e was initiated (4SHORE) in autum n 2013 to fo llo w up the
ecological effects o f th is anthropogenic d isru p tio n on the fauna, applying a BACI (Before A fte r
C ontrol Impact) strategy.
The goal o f the ecological m on itoring campaign is to evaluate firs t the ecological value o f the
nourished area before nourishm ent, both in spring as in autum n. Possible changes in the ecological
value due to th is nourishm ent w ill be measured in the fo llo w in g tw o years (spring and autum n). An
im pact (nourished zone) and a control area (same habitat type, not influenced by the impact) are
included in the study.
To determ ine the ecological value or changes in it, we w ill evaluate the present fauna
(m acrobenthos, hyperbenthos, epibenthos and dem ersal fish) and th e ir ecosystem fu n c tio n in g (e.g.
the relationship between the food source and th e ir prey). For delivering an objective ju d g m e n t on
the nourishm ent effects (is it bad or good), we w ill apply standard indicators defined under the
Marine Strategy Fram ework Directive. Changes in the ecosystem w ill be studied via biotic (biomass,
density, diversity) and abiotic (grain size, organic m atter) variables.
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