Lagoonal systems naturally fill up with sand causing sand accretion that will eventually lead to the formation of dunes. To manage this, the Zwin lagoon has been expanded to the south of the original area. The evaluation of this expansion of the Zwin lagoon will be executed by analyzing the succession of macrofauna in combination with environmental parameters. Because macrofauna are linked to the shorebirds in the Lagoon, they are included as a secondary interest. The analysis of macrofauna community data resulted in a significant difference between the ‘old’ and ‘new’ Zwin area. Sediment in the ‘new’ area significantly changed in some subhabitats, while it stayed stable in the ‘old’ area. Diversity significantly decreased in the ‘old’ area in the muddy subhabitat but no significant pattern was not found in the ‘new’ area. Most wading birds and one duck species increased in their countings after the expansion and construction of the breeding islands.
Managing Thesis and Internship Exchanges
