272
H. Michaelis and w.J. Wolff
tions. To the latter ones belongs an extremely high predation pressure, as 2
million palaearctic waders spend about the same period of time on the Bane
d'Arguin flats (500km 2 ) as on the intertidal flats of the Wadden Sea
(4300km 2 ). Wolff and Smit (1990), Wolff (199I) and Wolff et al. (1993a,b)
"solved" the problem by postulating sufficiently high production rates of the
bottom fauna. The direct proof, however, has not yet been provided.
Acknowledgements. We thank the Mauritanian authorities, in particular the director and
staff of the Parc National du Bane d' Arguin, for the permission to carry out the study at
the Banc d' Arguin and for their support. We are grateful for assistance in the field to our
colleagues, in particular Ineke de Boom and Dirk Michaelis, and in the laboratory work
to Hans H. Kramer and Hilmar Hinz. In taxonomical questions we received support from
Dr. F. Licher, Dr. Ch. Meyer, Dr. D. Platvoet, Prof. Dr. H. K. Schminke, Dr. M. Tiirkay, Prof.
Dr. J.-W. Wagele and Prof. Dr. W. Westheide. The Mauritanian project was made possible
thanks to financial support from the Netherlands Marine Science Foundation. Additional financial support was provided by the Netherlands Research Institute for Nature
Management, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Worldwide Fund for Nature, and the
German Bundesministerium fUr Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie.
References
Abrahamse J, Joenje W, van Leeuwen-Seelt N (1976) Waddenzee, natuurgebied van
Nederland, Duitsland en Denemarken. Landelijke Vereniging tot Behoud van de
Waddenzee, Harlingen
Alongi DM (1990) The ecology of tropical soft-bottom benthic ecosystems. Oceanogr
Mar Annu Rev 28:381-496
Altenburg W, Engelmoer M, Mes R, Piersma T (1982) Wintering waders on the Bane
d' Arguin, Mauritania. Communication no 6 of the Wadden Sea Working Group,
Groningen, 283 pp
Baron J, Clavier J, Thomassin BA (1993) Structure and temporal fluctuations of two
intertidal seagrass-bed communities in New Caledonia (SW Pacific Ocean). Mar BioI
117:139-144
Batje M (1986) Salzgehalt und Wassertemperatur an der ostfriesischen Kiiste. Jber 1985
Forschungsstelle Kiiste 37:125-145
Beukema JJ (1989) Long-term changes in macrozoobenthic abundance on tidal flats
of the western part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Helgolander Meeresunters 43:405415
Dittmann S (1995) Benthos structure on tropical tidal flats of Australia. Helgolander
Meeresunters 49:539-551
Einsele G, Herm D, Schwarz HU (1974) Holocene eustatic sea level fluctuations at the
coast of Mauritania. Meteor Forsch Ergeb, Reihe C 18:43-62
Engelmoer M, Piersma T, Altenburg W, Mes R (1984) The Bane d' Arguin. In: Evans PR,
Goss-Custard JD, Hale WG (eds) Coastal waders and wildfowl in winter. Cambridge
Univ Press, Cambridge, pp 293-310
Ens B (1985) Tussen Sahara en Siberie. Stichting WIWO, Ewijk, 32 pp
H. Michaelis and w.J. Wolff
tions. To the latter ones belongs an extremely high predation pressure, as 2
million palaearctic waders spend about the same period of time on the Bane
d'Arguin flats (500km 2 ) as on the intertidal flats of the Wadden Sea
(4300km 2 ). Wolff and Smit (1990), Wolff (199I) and Wolff et al. (1993a,b)
"solved" the problem by postulating sufficiently high production rates of the
bottom fauna. The direct proof, however, has not yet been provided.
Acknowledgements. We thank the Mauritanian authorities, in particular the director and
staff of the Parc National du Bane d' Arguin, for the permission to carry out the study at
the Banc d' Arguin and for their support. We are grateful for assistance in the field to our
colleagues, in particular Ineke de Boom and Dirk Michaelis, and in the laboratory work
to Hans H. Kramer and Hilmar Hinz. In taxonomical questions we received support from
Dr. F. Licher, Dr. Ch. Meyer, Dr. D. Platvoet, Prof. Dr. H. K. Schminke, Dr. M. Tiirkay, Prof.
Dr. J.-W. Wagele and Prof. Dr. W. Westheide. The Mauritanian project was made possible
thanks to financial support from the Netherlands Marine Science Foundation. Additional financial support was provided by the Netherlands Research Institute for Nature
Management, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Worldwide Fund for Nature, and the
German Bundesministerium fUr Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie.
References
Abrahamse J, Joenje W, van Leeuwen-Seelt N (1976) Waddenzee, natuurgebied van
Nederland, Duitsland en Denemarken. Landelijke Vereniging tot Behoud van de
Waddenzee, Harlingen
Alongi DM (1990) The ecology of tropical soft-bottom benthic ecosystems. Oceanogr
Mar Annu Rev 28:381-496
Altenburg W, Engelmoer M, Mes R, Piersma T (1982) Wintering waders on the Bane
d' Arguin, Mauritania. Communication no 6 of the Wadden Sea Working Group,
Groningen, 283 pp
Baron J, Clavier J, Thomassin BA (1993) Structure and temporal fluctuations of two
intertidal seagrass-bed communities in New Caledonia (SW Pacific Ocean). Mar BioI
117:139-144
Batje M (1986) Salzgehalt und Wassertemperatur an der ostfriesischen Kiiste. Jber 1985
Forschungsstelle Kiiste 37:125-145
Beukema JJ (1989) Long-term changes in macrozoobenthic abundance on tidal flats
of the western part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Helgolander Meeresunters 43:405415
Dittmann S (1995) Benthos structure on tropical tidal flats of Australia. Helgolander
Meeresunters 49:539-551
Einsele G, Herm D, Schwarz HU (1974) Holocene eustatic sea level fluctuations at the
coast of Mauritania. Meteor Forsch Ergeb, Reihe C 18:43-62
Engelmoer M, Piersma T, Altenburg W, Mes R (1984) The Bane d' Arguin. In: Evans PR,
Goss-Custard JD, Hale WG (eds) Coastal waders and wildfowl in winter. Cambridge
Univ Press, Cambridge, pp 293-310
Ens B (1985) Tussen Sahara en Siberie. Stichting WIWO, Ewijk, 32 pp