New measuring station investigates impact of nature restoration on greenhouse gases in Hedwige-Prosperpolder

In the early 2020s, we worked with De Vlaamse Waterweg on the depoldering of the Hedwige-Prosper polder. Together with our partners, we redeveloped the area into a 465-hectare estuary where nature reigns supreme. Now we are participating in research into carbon sequestration in this nature reserve. An initial measuring station for this purpose was installed last week.

The new measuring station, for which Jan De Nul supervised the design and placement of the supporting structure, is part of the WETCOAST research project. Through this project, the University of Antwerp, KU Leuven and the Free University of Brussels are investigating the role of mud flats, salt marshes and mangroves in climate regulation. The six-metre-high structure is equipped with sensors that continuously measure the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Environmental factors such as wind, temperature, precipitation, light intensity and the tide are also accurately measured. The entire installation is powered by solar energy.

The measuring station offers a unique opportunity to investigate how the restoration of tidal areas can contribute to reducing global warming.

Stijn Temmerman, project coordinator at the Global Change Ecology Centre: "With WETCOAST, we want to find out how much carbon can be absorbed and stored in restored tidal areas. Salt marshes in our climate and mangrove forests in the tropics are among the most efficient ecosystems in the world for capturing carbon and reducing global warming. But this function has been lost in many tidal areas because they were drained for human use, such as agriculture. Salt marshes and mangroves are recently being restored. In addition to flood prevention and improving water quality and biodiversity, carbon storage is often cited as a motivation for their restoration."

Comparing with mangroves

WETCOAST not only studies marshes but also mangroves, the tropical counterparts of marsh areas. Parallel research is therefore being conducted in the AquaForest project. Jan De Nul has created a new mangrove island in the Guayas delta in Ecuador. The project serves as a blueprint for mangrove restoration worldwide. AquaForest offers researchers a unique opportunity to compare carbon sequestration in both temperate and tropical tidal zones.

Vicky Stratigaki, Project Engineer at Jan De Nul: "We are convinced that restoring valuable nature reserves is a relevant response to climate change. Mangrove forests, mud flats and salt marshes all provide various ecosystem services. That is why we are happy to invest in research that maps out the impact of nature restoration projects in detail. The fact that we can also do this worldwide in collaboration with WETCOAST can only increase the impact."

WETCOAST is funded by De Blauwe Cluster, the Flemish innovation cluster for the blue economy. The research is supported by an advisory group of companies such as Jan De Nul, Econopolis, Mantis Consulting, iFlux, Basaltex, Dronematrix, Haedes and ORG.