Project R-16928

From Indicators to Insights: Meiofauna-Based Assessment of Belgian Sandy Beach Ecosystem Health and Its Environmental Drivers — Operationalising and Applying the Benthos Ecosystem Quality Index (BEQI) (Research)

Belgian sandy beaches provide substantial socio-economic and ecological value, yet face intense anthropogenic pressures and ongoing environmental change. Assessing the health of these dynamic systems requires sensitive and ecologically meaningful bioindicators. Meiofauna—microscopic organisms residing between sediment grains—play a key functional role in benthic ecosystems and respond rapidly to environmental disturbance, making them well suited for this purpose. However, their potential remains underused along the Belgian coast due to limited taxonomic knowledge, a bias toward hard-bodied taxa, and the predominantly descriptive nature of existing studies. This study aims to establish a robust, future-proof framework for meiofauna-based monitoring of Belgian beach ecosystem health. First, a metabarcoding reference database for interstitial meiofauna will be developed, enabling reliable identification of both soft- and hard-bodied taxa and allowing rapid, standardised sampling suitable for monitoring applications. Subsequently, meiofaunal community composition, diversity, and variability will be integrated into the Benthos Ecosystem Quality Index (BEQI) to quantitatively assess beach health. Finally, by integrating biotic and abiotic variables, including anthropogenic pressures, this project will move beyond descriptive monitoring toward a mechanistic understanding of beach ecosystem health, hence providing a robust basis for informed coastal management.

01 November 2026 - 31 October 2030