NIOZ EMOWAD Cruises 1986

The fourth extensive inventory of the demersal fish fauna of the western part of the Dutch Wadden Sea by NIOZ took place in 1986 as part of the EMOWAD project. The aim of the EMOWAD (Ecological Model Wadden Sea) project, was to study the applicability to the western Dutch Wadden Sea of an ecosystem model developed for the Ems estuary. In addition to a modelling exercise, extensive field and laboratory research, including epibenthic fish surveys, was carried out in the period 1986-1987 for model validation. Monthly demersal fish survey were carried out in the intertidal, subtidal and tidal gullies in 1986 alternating in the Marsdiep and Vlie basin of the western Dutch Wadden Sea. Sampling took place with rubber dinghies in the intertidal and in deeper waters with RV Navicula, launched in 1981 as successor of RV Eider and Ephyra. In contrast to the previous survey by RV Ephyra, fishing was done with beam trawls again. All the fish were identified and measured on board. The programme lasted for a year covering the year 1986.