Effects of marine heatwave intensity on shell sizes and condition index of Wadden Sea intertidal bivalves: a mesocosm experiment conducted on the island of Sylt, Germany, in summer 2022

To investigate the potential impact of marine heatwaves on the intertidal fauna of the German Wadden Sea, a mesocosm experiment was conducted on the island of Sylt, Germany, from June to August 2022. Organisms of the two common bivalve species Cerastoderma edule and Macoma balthica were collected from the upper intertidal of the local Wadden Sea in May 2022. Organisms were then placed into open boxes filled with sieved sediment (1000 µm) from the sampling area, as single-species communities mimicking in-situ observed densities of 119 individuals m-2 (C. edule) and 357 m-2 (M. balthica) and with initial community wet weights corresponding to approximately 35.7 g m-2 (both species) to ensure comparability. The communities were introduced into outdoor land-based mesocosm tanks equipped with tidal simulation, seawater flow through and temperature control on June 1st, 2022. […]

为探究海洋热浪对德国瓦登海潮间带生物群落的潜在影响，于2022年6月至8月期间，在德国叙尔特岛开展了中尺度生态系统实验。于2022年5月，从当地瓦登海的上潮间带采集了两种常见双壳类生物物种——扇贝（Cerastoderma edule）和马氏蛤（Macoma balthica）的个体。随后，将这些生物放置于装有从采样区域筛分出的（1000 µm）沉积物的开放式箱子中，模拟现场观察到的密度（C. edule为每平方米119个个体，M. balthica为每平方米357个个体），并确保初始群落湿重与每平方米约35.7克（两种物种）相匹配，以保持可比性。这些群落于2022年6月1日被引入户外陆地中尺度生态系统容器中，该容器配备有潮汐模拟、海水流动和温度控制功能。