@article {Gheskiere:2005ud,
	title = {Meiofauna as descriptor of tourism-induced changes at sandy beaches},
	journal = {Marine Environmental Research},
	volume = {60},
	year = {2005},
	pages = {245-265},
	publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD},
	address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND},
	abstract = {Tourism has long been considered as a {\textquoteright}clean industry{\textquoteright} with almost no negative effects on the environment. This study demonstrated, in two different coastal systems (Mediterranean and Baltic), that tourism related activities are particularly affecting the sandy beach meio-and nematofauna in the upper beach zone, the specific ecotone in which many meiofauna species from both the marine and the terrestrial environment congregate. Tourist upper beaches are characterized by a lower \% total organic matter (\%TOM), lower densities, lower diversities (absence of Insecta, Harpacticoida, Oligochaeta, terrestrial nematodes and marine Ironidae nematodes) and higher community stress compared to nearby non-tourist locations. The \%TOM was found to be the single most important factor for the observed differences in meiofauna assemblage structure at tourist versus non-tourist beaches in both the Mediterranean and the Baltic region. The free-living nematode assemblages from tourist upper zones depart significantly from expectations based on random selections from the regional nematode species pool. Furthermore upper zone assemblages are characterised by a low species diversity consisting of taxonomically closely related nematode species with r-strategist features. Generally, faunal differences between tourist and non-tourist beaches are decreasing towards the lower beach zones. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.},
	keywords = {Baltic, free-living nematodes, Mediterranean, meiofauna, sandy beach, taxonomic diversity, tourist impacts},
	doi = {DOI 10.1016/j.marenvres.2004.10.006},
	author = {Gheskiere, T and Vincx, M and Weslawski, JM and Scapini, F and Degraer, S}
}
