Articles | Volume 23, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1527-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1527-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
26 Feb 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 26 Feb 2026
| 26 Feb 2026
Nutrient flows and biogeomorphic feedbacks: linking seabird guano to plant traits and morphological change on sandy islands
Floris F. van Rees
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), 't Horntje, 1797 SZ, the Netherlands
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands
Department of Ecosystems and Sediment Dynamics, Deltares, Delft, 2629 HV, the Netherlands
Laura L. Govers
Department of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), 't Horntje, 1797 SZ, the Netherlands
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, 9700 CC, the Netherlands
Polina Guseva
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands
Maarten P. A. Zwarts
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands
Camille Tuijnman
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands
Cornelis J. Camphuysen
Department of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), 't Horntje, 1797 SZ, the Netherlands
Gerben Ruessink
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands
Valérie C. Reijers
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5733, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5733, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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We studied a unique glacier in South Greenland that ends in both a lake and the ocean. Using satellite data and field work, we found that the two glacier fronts behave very differently even under the same climate. At the lake glacier little melt below water and the presence of lake ice reduce the production of icebergs. The lake glacier experienced a sudden large breakup. Our work suggests that lake and marine glacier fronts must be treated differently in model simulations.
Marco Schrijver, Maarten van der Vegt, Gerben Ruessink, and Maarten G. Kleinhans
Earth Surf. Dynam., 13, 1093–1108, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1093-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-13-1093-2025, 2025
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To gain insight into the sediment transport onto a mid-channel bar in an estuary, we measured current velocities on and along the tidal flat during six months. Our analysis shows that intertidal currents have a more pronounced three-dimensional pattern than those on shore-connected tidal flats. This has consequences for sediment transport and morphodynamics. Existing models for tidal flats underestimate flow velocities and sediment dynamics on mid-channel bars.
Marlies A. van der Lugt, Jorn W. Bosma, Matthieu A. de Schipper, Timothy D. Price, Marcel C. G. van Maarseveen, Pieter van der Gaag, Gerben Ruessink, Ad J. H. M. Reniers, and Stefan G. J. Aarninkhof
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 903–918, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-903-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-903-2024, 2024
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A 6-week field campaign was carried out at a sheltered sandy beach on Texel along the Dutch Wadden Sea with the aim of gaining new insights into the driving processes behind sheltered beach morphodynamics. Detailed measurements of the local hydrodynamics, bed-level changes and sediment composition were collected. The morphological evolution on this sheltered site is the result of the subtle interplay between waves, currents and bed composition.
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Co-editor-in-chief
Seabird guano is a vital nutrient source that drives "biogeomorphic feedbacks," shifting plant communities toward sediment-stabilizing species that physically reshape coastal landscapes. Van Rees and others demonstrate that guano-derived nitrogen enhances vegetation productivity and sediment retention, particularly in nutrient-poor sandy environments. These findings suggest that declining seabird populations could indirectly accelerate habitat loss due to the critical role of seabirds as "ecosystem engineers" who help build the very landscapes they depend on for survival, which has clear conservation implications.
Seabird guano is a vital nutrient source that drives "biogeomorphic feedbacks," shifting plant...
Short summary
Seabird guano enriches nitrogen-loving plants and boost plants to trap sediment, driving the gradual growth and reshaping of coastal islands. By pairing on-site plant surveys with satellite imagery and elevation data, we show these effects vary with elevation, soil type, and season. Birds thus engineer and sustain their own breeding habitats. For conservation managers, protecting colonies is key to preserving the dynamic island landscapes these and other species rely on.
Seabird guano enriches nitrogen-loving plants and boost plants to trap sediment, driving the...
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