Changes over 50 years in fish fauna of a temperate coastal sea: Degradation of trophic structure and nursery function

The ongoing daily sampling programme of the fish fauna in the Dutch Wadden Sea using fixed gear was analysed for the years 1960–2011. Spring sampling caught immigrating fish from the coastal zone and autumn samples reflected emigration of young-of-the-year. In total 82 fish species were caught with no clear trend in biodiversity. In both spring and autumn total daily catch fluctuated and peaked in the late 1970s. From 1980 to the present catches...