Benthic community response to sand dredging and shoreface nourishment in Dutch coastal waters

In the Netherlands marine sands are increasingly used for coastal protection and land infra-structural works. Both sand extraction and coastal nourishment cause disturbances of the seabed and its ecological functions. The results of three studies are used to discuss patterns in recovery of the benthic community. Survival, migration and recruitment may all contribute to the recovery of the benthic community after a disturbance. Following such an event a short-term opportunistic response was observed followed by an almost complete recovery of community composition and structure after four years.