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not describe everything that is involved in the sampling process. What is missing is
a description of the difficulty and complexity of moving across these intertidal sediments. They are soft muds and sands with large amounts of organic matter and if
you stand still for just a few minutes, you sink…and your rubber boots tend to get
stuck once they are deep into the sediment (sorry, but we did not take the time for
pictures under those circumstances). To make matters more interesting, when there
is traffic in the main channel, boats and large ships can generate considerable waves.
You have to dodge these while stuck up to you knees and turning around is not easy.
Generally, you move forwards more easily than backwards, if you are lucky and
move fast enough. Making a large circle would allow you to turn around to the
Fig. 7.6 Two surface sediment sampling sites in the middle reaches of the Bilbao estuary. (Images
by E. Leorri)
7 The Anthropocene, Wait, What? A Basque’s Coastal Experience Helps to Figure It Out