Effect of protected zone on polychaete diversity, abundance and distribution in the Wadden Sea intertidal zone

Polychaetes are a diverse group of marine invertebrates widely distributed in soft sediments. This study examined potential differences in the abundance and species composition of polychaetes in public and protected areas of the Wadden Sea National Park in northern Germany. The two sampled areas differed in the level of ecological disturbance; the public beach being used for human recreation while the protected area was a breeding place for birds and accessible only to researchers. Polychaetes were sampled in the intertidal zone on each side of the fence separating the public and protected areas. Samples were analyzed for species abundance using an independent sample t-test and species diversity examined using the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index. 30 total sites (15 protected and 15 public) were sampled over a period of 3 days at the end of July 2024, polychaetes were collected and identified to species level resulting in 251 total observations of 11 distinct species. Statistical analysis demonstrated no difference in polychaete abundance or species composition between the protected and public areas. This supports the conclusion that polychaete populations in the Wadden Sea National Park are not heavily impacted by predation from migrating birds living in the protected area and are resilient to disturbance caused by human activities on the public beach.