Population Ecology - Spatial structure of benthic populations

We suggest stochastic hydrographic processes profoundly influence the spatial distribution of benthos. As a result, empty though suitable habitat should exist within the ordinary migration range of species, e.g. because currents prevented larval settlement. This may strongly affect our judgement of the state of the coastal environment. Therefore, the existence of suitable but empty habitat is tested by studying the species-specific use of space in the intertidal and subtidal of the Wadden Sea. 
Sandy beaches exposed to the North Sea are frequently disturbed by waves.  However, during the past decades storms tended to become more frequent and more intense and coastal erosion became prominent on a word-wide scale potentially exceeding the adaptational capabilities of the beach fauna. In order to predict the fate of the beach fauna in a more stormy world, the relationship between sediment disturbance and the spatial and temporal structure of the beach fauna was studied. Along many island coasts, sediment losses during gales are artificially replenished. We tested the ecological impact of beach nourishment at the island of Sylt. Further studies concentrate on single species that play a dominant role in the ecosystem (the Scoloplos example).