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Beds of grass at Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania

Ecosystem infrastructures underlying avian richness along the East Atlantic Flyway
PhD ceremony:E.M. El-Hacen
When:January 11, 2019
Start:14:30
Supervisors:prof. dr. H. (Han) Olff, prof. dr. T. (Theunis) Piersma, prof. dr. T.J. Bouma
Where:Academy building RUG
Faculty:Science and Engineering
Beds of grass at Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania

E. El Hacen first assessed seagrass dynamic history using long-term Landsat imagery and compared benthic community structure (biomass, species composition) and secondary productivity (P/B) between historical (1986) and recent (2014) large-scale benthic surveys. He also studied the effect of hydrodynamic on seagrass stability, morphology, nutrient-content, and its response to nutrient overload; (iii) assess the recovery potential of seagrass after disturbance along an intertidal elevation gradient and identify the main environmental factors affecting the recovery rate; investigated the underlying mechanisms driving the functioning of the mosaics of Banc d’Arguin; and studied waterbird populations dynamics over the last four decades in Banc d’Arguin and discussed possible drivers of changes.