Trophic modelling as a pathway to ecosystem-based management – the Marine Protected Area “Sylt Outer Reef - Eastern German Bight”
Slila, C.; Horn, S.; Püts, M.; Haslob, H.; Beermann, J.; Riekhof, M.-C.; Gutow, L.; Wiltshire, K.H. (2026). Trophic modelling as a pathway to ecosystem-based management – the Marine Protected Area “Sylt Outer Reef - Eastern German Bight”. J. Sea Res. 212: 102724. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2026.102724
In: Journal of Sea Research. Elsevier/Netherlands Institute for Sea Research: Amsterdam; Den Burg. ISSN 1385-1101; e-ISSN 1873-1414, more
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| Keyword |
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| Author keywords |
Marine protected area; Ecopath with Ecosim; Food web; Ecological indicators; Ecosystem function |
| Authors | | Top |
- Slila, C.
- Horn, S.
- Püts, M.
- Haslob, H.
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- Beermann, J.
- Riekhof, M.-C.
- Gutow, L.
- Wiltshire, K.H.
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| Abstract |
The Marine Protected Area of the Sylt Outer Reef – Eastern German Bight (SOR), located in the German Exclusive Economic Zone of the North Sea, is an ecologically important region that provides essential habitats for numerous species and supports high benthic faunal diversity. In this study, we developed the first mass-balanced food web model for the SOR covering the period 2010–2020, using Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE), in order to understand ecosystem functioning, structure, and energy flows prior to the implementation of management measures. The model included 44 functional groups and 8 fishing gear types. We found that the SOR is dominated by low trophic levels and strong benthic recycling, with detritus and primary producers contributing 33.43% and 20.41% of total system throughput (TST), respectively. Ecosystem indicators highlight that the system is detritus-driven with high internal recycling. It has multiple alternative pathways for energy and biomass flow, supporting a complex trophic structure and potentially being resilient to disturbance. Keystone groups and species included surface-feeding birds and harbour porpoise, whereas key structuring groups included carnivorous polychaetes, phytoplankton, herbivorous zooplankton, and sandeels. Fishing gears in the SOR target both pelagic and demersal groups, primarily forage fish such as sandeels and sprat. The static food web model of the SOR is a baseline for evaluating the effect of the implemented management measures on the ecosystem as the next step, supporting ecosystem-based management decisions for the Sylt Outer Reef such as the exclusion of bottom trawling from many areas of the SOR in March 2023. |
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