Environmental parameters of shallow water habitats in the SW Baltic Sea

Abstract

Abstract. The coastal waters of the Baltic Sea are subject to high variations in environmental conditions, triggered by natural and anthropogenic causes. Thus, in situ measurements of water parameters can be strategic for our understanding of the dynamics in shallow water habitats. In this study we present the results of a monitoring program at low water depths (1–2.5 m), covering 13 stations along the Baltic coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The provided dataset consists of records for dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations taken twice a month and continuous readings at 10 min intervals for temperature, salinity and oxygen content. Data underwent quality control procedures and were flagged. On average, a data availability of >90 % was reached for the monitoring period within 2016–2018. The obtained monitoring data reveal great temporal and spatial variabilities of key environmental factors for shallow water habitats in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Therefore the presented information could serve as realistic key data for experimental manipulations of environmental parameters as well as for the development of oceanographic, biogeochemical or ecological models. The data associated with this article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.895257 (Franz et al., 2018).

How Do Geological Structure and Biological Diversity Relate? Benthic Communities in Boulder Fields of the Southwestern Baltic Sea

“…For the majority of these efforts, the state of the considered habitat needs to be assessed before any measure can be applied. Assessing the condition of coastal habitats is challenging, as strong natural variabilities act in combination with anthropogenic impacts (Mieszkowska et al 2014;Franz et al 2019). In the specific case of the Baltic Sea, strong environmental gradients further exacerbate the definition of reference values.…”

The Higher the Needs, the Lower the Tolerance: Extreme Events May Select Ectotherm Recruits With Lower Metabolic Demand and Heat Sensitivity

“…1 m) or days-to weeks-long weather events (up to 8 • C at depths ca. 2 m) (Franz et al, 2019;Pansch and Hiebenthal, 2019). By the end of the 21st century, the average sea surface water temperature is projected to increase by 1.5-4 • C in the Baltic Sea (Meier et al, 2012;Gräwe et al, 2013).…”

“…Minimum and maximum temperatures in the cycles were 20.8 and 30.5 • C, respectively, the former representing a current high (ca. the 90-percentile limit) daily thermal average in summer and the latter representing a future daily extreme (Gräwe et al, 2013;Pansch et al, 2018;Franz et al, 2019). During the performance trials, mussels were continuously fed with Rhodomonas salina, maintained at the concentration of their surrounding solution (Supplementary Figure 2) within the range (1,000-7,000 cells mL −1 ) needed for mussel's optimal filtration activity (Riisgård et al, 2012).…”

Cyclic thermal fluctuations can be burden or relief for an ectotherm depending on fluctuations’ average and amplitude

“…Shallow coastal waters of the Baltic Sea (depth c. 0.5-2.5 m) experience minimal tidal water-level changes. Nevertheless, daily variation in seawater temperature can be 3-6℃ regularly and as high as 8℃ occasionally during down-and upwelling events (Franz et al, 2019;Pansch & Hiebenthal, 2019). Even more intense fluctuations in body temperature can be observed at the low-latitude distribution range of Mytilus along the Atlantic coast, especially where specimens experience aerial exposure during low tides (Helmuth et al, 2014).…”