{"datasetrec":{"DasID":8971,"Acronym":null,"StandardTitle":"Natura 2000 network estuaries in Cantabria (Invertebrates)","OrigTitle":null,"OrigTitleLangID":null,"OrigTitleLangCode":null,"OrigTitleLang":null,"OrigTitleLangNL":null,"VersionName":null,"ContactEmail":null,"VersionDate":"Oct 17 2025 12:00AM","VersionDay":null,"VersionMonth":null,"VersionYear":null,"SizeReference":null,"EngAbstract":"

This dataset contains information on the abundance and biomass of benthic macroinvertebrates collected in the estuaries of Tina Menor, Oyambre, and Joyel (Cantabria, northern Spain) between 2016 and 2019. The monitoring program was part of the LIFE CONVIVE project, which aimed to address the challenge of integrating human activities with the conservation objectives of the Natura 2000 Network in the estuaries of Cantabria. The project implemented environmental restoration actions and citizen awareness initiatives to promote the ecological value and sustainable use of these coastal ecosystems. Sampling was carried out during summer at two stations in the Tina Menor estuary, two in Oyambre, and seven in Joyel.<\/p>


Acknowledgements: This work was carried out within the framework of the LIFE CONVIVE project, co-financed by the LIFE programme of the European Union. We would like to thank the project partners: the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries, and Rural Development of the Government of Cantabria, the Municipality of Arnuero, Constructora Obras P\u00fablicas San Emeterio S.A., the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO\/BirdLife), and Aves Cant\u00e1bricas S.L. for their support and collaboration.<\/p>","EngDescr":"

Introduction:<\/strong> The LIFE-CONVIVE project (Integration of human activities into the conservation objectives of the Natura 2000 Network along the Cantabrian coast) was developed to promote coexistence between human use and biodiversity conservation in the estuarine systems of Cantabria (northern Spain). Estuaries are ecosystems of high ecological and socio-economic importance, but they are also among the most threatened environments due to hydrodynamic alterations, eutrophication, invasive species, and human occupation. The project aimed to improve the conservation status of coastal and estuarine habitats included in the Natura 2000 Network through restoration and management actions carried out between 2015 and 2019. The project included interventions in several estuarine systems (Tina Menor, Oyambre, and Joyel), addressing specific ecological problems and restoration needs in each site. In the Tina Menor estuary, located at the mouth of the Nansa River and included within the Natura 2000 site R\u00edas Occidentales y Duna de Oyambre, ten habitats of community interest were identified, together with more than thirty bird species, some of which are listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive. Restoration actions focused on the eastern margin of the estuary, in the area surrounding the aquaculture facilities of Tina Menor S.L., where anthropogenic dikes and reclaimed land have created semi-enclosed lagoons with limited water exchange. The actions implemented included the removal of the invasive plant Baccharis halimifolia (over 4 ha), the installation of a green filter at the wastewater discharge point to reduce nutrient input, and the development of a biodiversity management plan for birds. These measures aimed to enhance habitat quality and biodiversity conservation within approximately 30 ha of the estuarine system. The Oyambre estuary, also part of the Natura 2000 site R\u00edas Occidentales y Duna de Oyambre, consists of two tidal branches, the R\u00eda de la Rabia and the R\u00eda del Capit\u00e1n. Restoration efforts were focused on the R\u00eda del Capit\u00e1n, an area highly modified by the construction of tidal dikes that have led to siltation and partial desiccation of the marsh. The proposed actions included restoring tidal dynamics through the enlargement of the Zapedo dike opening and removing Baccharis halimifolia from 14 ha of saltmarsh. These actions aimed to improve the conservation status of habitats 1330 (Atlantic salt meadows) and 1420 (Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs) within a total restored area of 35 ha. The Joyel estuary, part of the Natura 2000 site and Natural Park Marismas de Santo\u00f1a, Victoria y Joyel, is characterized by seven habitats of community interest and a high diversity of bird species, many of them protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives. Historically, this estuary has been heavily modified by dike construction and land reclamation, leading to the formation of two large semi-enclosed lagoons: Santa Olaja and Joyel. These areas experience limited water renewal and eutrophication. Restoration actions included optimizing the hydrodynamics of the Santa Olaja lagoon, removing green macroalgae proliferations, repairing the Soano dike gates to restore tidal exchange in the Joyel lagoon, removing Baccharis halimifolia from over 4 ha of marshland, and developing a bird biodiversity management plan. The overall objective was to restore favorable conservation status for habitats 1330 and 1420 and support the educational and cultural functions of the Santa Olaja mill, which serves as an environmental interpretation center. Overall, LIFE-CONVIVE implemented a set of coordinated restoration, management, and awareness-raising actions across several estuarine and coastal systems in Cantabria, contributing to the long-term conservation of habitats and species of community interest within the Natura 2000 Network.<\/p>


Purpose:<\/strong> The LIFE-CONVIVE project aimed to promote the integration of human activities with the conservation objectives of the Natura 2000 Network in the estuaries of Cantabria (northern Spain). The project focused on restoring and improving the ecological status of estuarine habitats through actions such as the removal of invasive species, the regeneration of hydrodynamic conditions by reopening dikes, and the reduction of anthropogenic pressures. In addition, the project sought to raise public awareness of the ecological value and ecosystem services provided by estuarine environments and to optimize future restoration initiatives through monitoring, dissemination, and the development of management and conservation plans.<\/p>","OrigAbstract":null,"OrigDescr":null,"Comments":"Sampling Methods: Sampling in the intertidal zones of the estuaries was conducted during low tide periods by collecting sediment samples from a surface area of 25 \u00d7 25 cm (0.0625 m\u00b2), with four replicates taken at each station. Samples for the study of benthic macroinvertebrates were sieved in situ using a minimum mesh size of 1 mm. The retained organisms were fixed in a 70%-30% ethanol\u2013water solution for preservation until laboratory processing. In the laboratory, samples were sorted under a stereomicroscope, and organisms were separated into major taxonomic groups to facilitate subsequent identification and quantification. For each sample, the abundance (number of individuals) and biomass (wet weight, g) of each species were estimated.\n\nStudy Extent: The study was conducted in four coastal systems located along the Cantabrian coast in northern Spain: the estuaries of Tina Menor, Oyambre, and Joyel, and the Victoria Lagoon. These sites are part of the Natura 2000 Network and represent a range of estuarine and lagoon environments with varying degrees of hydrodynamic alteration, salinity gradients, and anthropogenic influence. Sampling focused on soft-bottom intertidal and subtidal habitats within these estuaries. The monitoring program was carried out between 2016 and 2019, during the summer months, in a total of eleven sampling stations: two in Tina Menor, two in Oyambre, and seven in Joyel. Each station was selected to represent the main habitat types and environmental gradients within each system. The study extent therefore includes multiple estuarine systems covering both marine and brackish zones, with sampling efforts designed to evaluate spatial differences in the composition, abundance, and biomass of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in relation to the restoration and management actions implemented under the LIFE-CONVIVE project.\n\nMethod step description: Selection of sampling stations along the estuarine intertidal zones according to habitat type and tidal influence. Field sampling during low tide periods using a 25 \u00d7 25 cm quadrat (0.0625 m\u00b2), collecting four replicate samples per station. In situ sieving of sediment samples through a 1 mm mesh to retain benthic macroinvertebrates. Fixation of the retained organisms in a 70%-30% ethanol\u2013water solution for preservation and transport to the laboratory. Sorting of samples under a stereomicroscope, separating organisms into major taxonomic groups. Identification of specimens to the lowest possible taxonomic level, counting individuals and estimating biomass (wet weight, g). Data entry and verification to ensure consistency and quality control before analysis and publication.","ReleaseDate":"Oct 17 2025 12:00AM","ReleaseDate0":"2025-10-17","OrigDescrLang":null,"EmbargoDate":null,"OrigDescrLangNL":null,"OrigLangCode":null,"OrigLangCodeExtended":null,"OrigLangID":null,"DescrCompFlag":null,"DescrTransFlag":null,"Citation":"Echavarri B, Recio M, Ramos E, Puente A, Juanes J A (2025). Natura 2000 network estuaries in Cantabria (Invertebrates). Version 1.2. IHCantabria. Samplingevent dataset. https:\/\/ipt.vliz.be\/upload\/resource?r=natura2000estuaries&v=1.2","AccessConstraints":null,"UDate":"2025-12-16","CDate":"2025-12-16","CurrencyDate":null,"RevisionDate":null,"DateLastModified":{"date":"2026-04-07 10:24:55.210000","timezone_type":1,"timezone":"+00:00"},"CheckedFlag":0,"PublicFlag":1,"VlizCoreFlag":1,"MarineFlag":1,"FreshFlag":null,"BrackishFlag":null,"TerrestrialFlag":null,"StatusID":1,"DasType":"Data","DasTypeID":1,"DasOrigin":"Monitoring: field survey","Progress":"Completed","AccessConstraint":"Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)","AccConstrEN":"Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)","AccConstrDisplay":"\"Creative<\/a> This dataset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a>.","License":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0","AccConstrDescription":"This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don\u2019t have to license their derivative works on the same terms","Lineage":null,"AccConID":24},"dois":null,"spcols":[{"SpColID":619,"SpName":"available through EurOBIS"},{"SpColID":552,"SpName":"EMODNET"}],"keywords":[{"ThesaurusTerm":"Local","ThesTypID":31,"ThesType":"INSPIRE Spatial Scope","Code":null,"Description":null,"OrigThesTerm":"Local","DutchTerm":"Lokaal","URI":null,"DasKeywordDescr":null}],"parents":null,"children":null,"othrel":null,"othrelrev":[{"DasID":1510,"Acronym":"EurOBIS","StandardTitle":"European Ocean Biodiversity Information System","Relation":"Published dataset","RelationY":"Published in","RelID":13,"doi":null,"vlizDoi":null}],"ownerships":[{"OrderNr":1,"Surname":"Echavarri","Firstname":"Beatriz","Initials":"B.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":171478,"Email":"beatriz.echavarri@unican.es","InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":46133,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":61,"Role":"Data creator","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7059-5615","ROR":null},{"OrderNr":2,"Surname":"Recio","Firstname":"Maria","Initials":"M.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":171480,"Email":"reciom@unican.es","InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":41020,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":61,"Role":"Data creator","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6186-6049","ROR":null},{"OrderNr":3,"Surname":"Ramos Manzanos","Firstname":"Elvira","Initials":"E.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":171474,"Email":"ramose@unican.es","InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":35798,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":61,"Role":"Data creator","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":null,"ROR":null},{"OrderNr":4,"Surname":"Juanes","Firstname":"Jos\u00e9 Antonio","Initials":"J. A.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":171473,"Email":"juanesj@unican.es","InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":35785,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":61,"Role":"Data creator","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1825-2858","ROR":null},{"OrderNr":5,"Surname":"Puente","Firstname":"Araceli","Initials":"A.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":null,"Email":null,"InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":13713,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":61,"Role":"Data creator","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7627-4743","ROR":null},{"OrderNr":6,"Surname":"Echavarri","Firstname":"Beatriz","Initials":"B.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":171478,"Email":"beatriz.echavarri@unican.es","InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":46133,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":24,"Role":"Contact","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7059-5615","ROR":null},{"OrderNr":7,"Surname":"Recio","Firstname":"Maria","Initials":"M.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":171480,"Email":"reciom@unican.es","InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":41020,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":24,"Role":"Contact","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6186-6049","ROR":null},{"OrderNr":8,"Surname":"Juanes","Firstname":"Jos\u00e9 Antonio","Initials":"J. A.","PerPublicFlag":1,"AdrID":171473,"Email":"juanesj@unican.es","InsPublicFlag":1,"Acronym":"IH Cantabria","OrigNameLangCode":null,"OrigNameLangID":null,"FullOrigName":null,"InsOwnerCNT":8,"PersID":35785,"InsID":11992,"FullInstitute":"University of Cantabria; Environmental Hydraulics Institute","RoleID":24,"Role":"Contact","OrigName":null,"StandardName":"Environmental Hydraulics Institute","FullAcronym":"UNICAN-IH Cantabria","ORC":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1825-2858","ROR":null}],"taxterms":null,"frameworks":null,"otherterms":null,"temporal":[{"DasDateID":7698,"StartYear":2016,"EndYear":2019,"StartDay":4,"EndDay":6,"StartDate":"2016-07-04","EndDate":"2019-08-06","DasDate":null,"Resolution":null,"ResolutionNL":null,"Notes":null,"StartMonth0":7,"StartMonth":"July","StartMonthNL":"Juli","EndMonth0":8,"EndMonth":"August","EndMonthNL":"Augustus","Progress":"Completed","ProgressNL":"Afgelopen"}],"geographical":[{"GeoTerm":"EurOBIS calculated BBOX","DasGeoID":15380,"DasGeoTerm":null,"DasID":8971,"GeotID":9449,"X":-4.4737846670000003,"Y":43.378086209999999,"MaxX":-3.5451130000000002,"MaxY":43.487185599999997,"StationName":"Bounding Box","Precision":null,"CoordSystID":null,"GeoDatumID":null,"OrigCoordMinX":null,"OrigCoordMinY":null,"OrigCoordMaxX":null,"OrigCoordMaxY":null,"OrderNr":null,"Projection":null,"GeoDatum":null,"GeoObjectID":null,"OrigGeoTerm":"EurOBIS calculated BBOX","DutchTerm":null},{"GeoTerm":null,"DasGeoID":15262,"DasGeoTerm":null,"DasID":8971,"GeotID":null,"X":-4.4737999999999998,"Y":43.378100000000003,"MaxX":-3.5451000000000001,"MaxY":43.487200000000001,"StationName":null,"Precision":null,"CoordSystID":null,"GeoDatumID":null,"OrigCoordMinX":null,"OrigCoordMinY":null,"OrigCoordMaxX":null,"OrigCoordMaxY":null,"OrderNr":1,"Projection":null,"GeoDatum":null,"GeoObjectID":null,"OrigGeoTerm":null,"DutchTerm":null}],"meastypes":[{"MethID":null,"DasMeasTypID":24330,"DasMeasType":"EurOBIS harvested data","Matrix":null,"MatrixNL":null,"Parameter":null,"ParameterNL":null,"Description":null,"Unit":null,"Methodology":null,"Protocol":null,"QualityControl":null,"Precision":null,"Detectionlimit":null,"Instrument":"Quadrat","InstrumentUrl":"http:\/\/vocab.nerc.ac.uk\/collection\/L22\/current\/TOOL0817\/","MethFull":"","ParaCategoryTitle":null,"ParaCatCode":null},{"MethID":null,"DasMeasTypID":24329,"DasMeasType":"EurOBIS harvested data","Matrix":null,"MatrixNL":null,"Parameter":"Abundance of biological entity specified elsewhere per unit area of the bed","ParameterNL":null,"Description":"http:\/\/vocab.nerc.ac.uk\/collection\/P01\/current\/SDBIOL02\/","Unit":null,"Methodology":null,"Protocol":null,"QualityControl":null,"Precision":null,"Detectionlimit":null,"Instrument":null,"InstrumentUrl":null,"MethFull":"","ParaCategoryTitle":"SeaDataNet biological format biotic parameters","ParaCatCode":"SDN:P02::BPRP"},{"MethID":null,"DasMeasTypID":24328,"DasMeasType":"EurOBIS harvested data","Matrix":null,"MatrixNL":null,"Parameter":"Area of sample {sampled area} from the bed","ParameterNL":null,"Description":"http:\/\/vocab.nerc.ac.uk\/collection\/P01\/current\/AREABEDS\/","Unit":null,"Methodology":null,"Protocol":null,"QualityControl":null,"Precision":null,"Detectionlimit":null,"Instrument":null,"InstrumentUrl":null,"MethFull":"","ParaCategoryTitle":"Sampling parameters","ParaCatCode":"SDN:P02::SAMP"}],"dasthemes":[{"DasThemeID":26,"DasTheme":"Biology > Benthos","DasTheme0":"Benthos","DutchTerm":"Benthos"},{"DasThemeID":29,"DasTheme":"Biology > Invertebrates","DasTheme0":"Invertebrates","DutchTerm":"Invertebraten"}],"projects":null,"refs":null,"urls":[{"URL":"https:\/\/emodnet.ec.europa.eu\/geonetwork\/srv\/eng\/catalog.search#\/metadata\/6d617269-6e65-696e-666f-000000008971","externalID":null,"URLTypeCode":null,"URLType":"Dataset information","URLTypID":17,"downloadURL":null,"FileName":null},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.eurobis.org\/toolbox\/en\/download\/occurrence\/dataset\/8971","externalID":null,"URLTypeCode":null,"URLType":"Online dataset","URLTypID":19,"downloadURL":null,"FileName":null},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.gbif.org\/dataset\/7fbf44b6-21b1-4f50-ba0f-6de6811e52cb","externalID":null,"URLTypeCode":"GBIF_UUID","URLType":"GBIF dataset","URLTypID":43,"downloadURL":null,"FileName":null},{"URL":"ipt.vliz.be\/eurobis\/resource?r=natura2000estuaries","externalID":"natura2000estuaries","URLTypeCode":null,"URLType":"IPT","URLTypID":33,"downloadURL":null,"FileName":null},{"URL":"https:\/\/ipt.vliz.be\/upload\/resource?r=natura2000estuaries","externalID":null,"URLTypeCode":null,"URLType":"IPT","URLTypID":33,"downloadURL":null,"FileName":null},{"URL":"https:\/\/obis.org\/dataset\/f6601b95-4d03-4ab5-bbdc-f436f65bb6f2","externalID":"f6601b95-4d03-4ab5-bbdc-f436f65bb6f2","URLTypeCode":null,"URLType":"Online dataset","URLTypID":19,"downloadURL":null,"FileName":null}],"pictures":null,"urlmaps":null,"spatreps":null,"fileformats":null,"resmessage":"","complete":1}