Japans bessenwier <i>Sargassum muticum</i> gevestigd te Zeebrugge

The brown seaweed Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt is reported for the first time in situ from the Belgian coast, It has been discovered in the harbour of Zeebrugge

Waterkwaliteit van de Zeebrugse achterhaven en het Boudewijnkanaal op basis van metingen uit 1996, 1997 en 1998

The inner port of Zeebrugge is a genuine brackish-water-basin. The inlet of seawater and the drainage of fresh water by the purification plant for household effluents are determining for the character of the harbour water. Temperature at the surface fluctuates between 0 and 28.2 °C. The salinity near Bruges fluctuates between 12.7 and 30.3 9 Cl/kg and near the sea locks at Zeebrugge between 25.1 and 31.1 9 Cl/kg. Pollution is problematic in the Boudewijnkanaal. The situation is however much better in the docks near the sea locks, the latter is reflected in the abundance of species. Several parameters are compared with the national quality standards for surface water and fishing water. During the period 1996, 1997 and 1998, a small yearly improvement is noticeable

Slak-in-Du project. Inventarisatie van de mollusken in de duingebieden langs de Belgische Kust - 2012 Oostkust

The Slak-in-Du (Snails in the Dunes) project aims at establishing, over a period of about six years, a new inventory of the molluscan fauna in the Belgian coastal dunes area. In the first year of the project the eastern part of the Belgian coast was investigated, i.e. the region east of the harbor of Zeebrugge. About 20 persons have contributed in one way or another. The results are very satisfactorily: A total of 30 species of land snails (among which 5 species of slugs), but also 6 species of freshwater molluscs and 5 species preferring brackish waters were observed. More than half of the species of land snails observed are reported for the first time since 1950 or even for the first time ever for the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) 10 x 10 km squares that were investigated, i.e. ES18, ES28 en ES29. The most important of these is undoubtedly Vertigo angustior, a protected species which was found for the first time in more than 50 years at the eastern part of the Belgian coast and for the first time ever in the nature reserve “Het Zwin”. Four other species are reported for the first time in the region that was investigated, i.e. Zonitoides nitidus, Cochlicella acuta, Cernuella cisalpina (= C. jonica) and Alinda biplicata biplicata. The latter had, moreover, never been observed before in the Belgian coastal area. Five species were found rather frequently, i.e. Monacha cantiana, Candidula intersecta, Cernuella virgata, Theba pisana and Cepaea nemoralis. The data that were collected further clearly show that Cochlicella acuta and Theba pisana pisana have by now spread along the entire Belgian coast. On the other hand, several species that are thought to be in decline at the Belgian coast, i.e. Monacha cartusiana, Helicella itala itala, Candidula gigaxii, and Candidula unifasciata unifasciata, have not been observed at all. As only one specimen of Cernuella aginnica was found, also this species is probably in decline. Since only few freshwater habitats occurred in the areas that were investigated in 2012 only a limited number of freshwater species is reported here. Finally, as to brackish water snails, the very rare species Limapontia depressa and Assiminea grayana were found in the “Bay of Heist”, while one specimen of Ecrobia ventrosa was observed alive in the nature reserve “Het Zwin”