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A new bivalve is colonizing the Waddensea. In 2017 the american Dwarf surfclam (Mulinia lateralis) was first detected near Rotterdam. Already in 2018 it had reached the Ems estuary near Greetsiel and will probably colonize the complete Waddensea in a flash. The species looks like the cut trough shell from the Northsea but has a fine sharp edge on its surface and lives in the intertidal. Here it will probably compete against cockles and tellins for plancton and space. On the other hand the new specis may serve as good food for waders and gulls. The surfclam can reproduce already in it's first year at a size of three millimeters - precondition for a classic invasion. Obviously the safety measures for transatlantic shipping are still not sufficient to prevent import of "aliens" - a severe deficit!
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- Excursion dates
- Educational material
- Marine protection
Beach experiences - where and when?
To excursion datesGuided beach excursions with explanations of biological facts and coastal protection topics are offered all along the coast. A list of places, providers and excursion dates can be found here:
School material
More...Free education material on Wadden Sea and North Sea is being developed. Already available are work sheets and teacher's material for our „Strandforscher”-program for primary schools (in german only).
Marine protection
More...Here you find background informations about biology and protection of Wadden Sea and North Sea.
