Restoration of intertidal mussel beds
Reef building bivalves such as mussels and oysters provide many ecosystem services. Mussels are filter feeders that increase the water quality, stabilize shorelines and provide habitats for many other species. Recognition of the ecosystem services mussels provide has increased awareness of their usefulness and importance for ecosystem functioning. It has resulted into an increase in management activities to protect the still existing natural systems and even led to several attempts to restore lost mussel beds in certain places. However restoration of mussel beds has proven to be difficult. Many attempts were only partly successful or failed completely. In the summer of 2018 a large field experiment will start to test whether improved construction techniques may increase the restoration success of blue mussel beds in the Eastern Scheldt. During this internship you will monitor the development of the restored mussel beds. Which means that you will survey the survival, growth and condition of the mussels and the development of the mussel beds as a whole. This information will contribute to our knowledge of mussel bed restoration which can be used to improve future restoration projects. Research type: field research, desk analysis Research level: project level, e.g. Water management students and/or Civil engineering students; minor, internship or graduation bachelor thesis project Prerequisite: Driver’s License is preferred, strong interest in ecology and restoration Partners: Rijkswaterstaat Zee en Delta, NIOZ, Wageningen Marine Research and Deltares, Client: Jildou Schotanus