Author: Joxe Mikel Garmendia
Year: 2022
Contact: biblioteca@azti.es
Download: Download RIM_28_1 (1.3MB)
Content: Among other Basque estuaries seagrass meadows are found in Bidasoa estuary, where play a series of ecological functions which are very important for the marine ecosystem. These intertidal seagrass meadows are formed by the species Zostera noltei, included in the Catalogue of Threatened Species of the Basque Country as an endangered species. Its scarcity and vulnerability give it greater relevance for its study and conservation. Furthermore, this species shows a high development and growth activity, which is reflected in a high interannual variability. This fact enhances the relevance of the temporal evolution analysis. Since 2008, a series of cartographies in this estuary showed important variations in the extension of the meadows and demonstrating a high dynamism in the development of this species. In 2008 seagrass meadows occupied a total area of 1.84 ha in the Bidasoa estuary, 1.21 ha in 2016 and 6.23 ha in 2020. This paper presents the distribution and occupation areas of seagrasses in the Bidasoa estuary between 2008 and 2020.
