A comprehensive study of the effects of stressors such as eutrophication, pollutant input, sediment shifting and heat waves on the biota of the two largest German estuaries Oder (Baltic Sea) and Elbe (North Sea) is being carried out by a group of scientists, representatives of authorities and nature conservationists. Both estuaries suffer from climate change and human activities, including dredging of fairways, which cause sediment loss, turbidity, and the release of nutrients and pollutants. The BluEs project will study the effects of stressors on food webs, and nutrient cycles through fieldwork, laboratory experiments and modeling.
At the IOW, functional diversity will be studied using the isotope of amino acids and in close coordination with the ecology of the fish and seabird species studied. The history and current eutrophication situation is reconstructed for the Oder and Elbe estuaries with sediment and nutrient data of the nitrogen isotopes. The control variables in the estuaries will be identified using network analyses combining as much data as possible from experiments and field studies to identify approaches for optimized management. The involvement of different stakeholders throughout the project will ensure the transfer of knowledge and scientifically based recommendations for sustainable development of estuarine systems.