Research on (literally) the mudflats of NW Australia.

Roebuck Bay, King Sound, and 80 Mile Beach owe their existence to:

• The geology and
• The climate of the area

The combination of these two define the

• Geomorphology (shape of the bays and surrounding area)
• Sedimentology (type & distribution of sediments)
• Geochemistry (chemical content of the sediments)
• Hydrology (distribution of water)

All of the which permitted the development of very large tidal mudflats which allow:

• Numerous benthic organisms (crabs, molluscs, mudskippers, etc), also known as "bird food"

Which explains:

• The presence of large numbers of wading birds. (Roebuck Bay and 80 Mile Beach are among the world's 10 most populous sites for migratory wading birds)

This research project is an attempt to understand the processes behind each of the above specialties within geology and biology. Our group has been working on these issues since the mid-1990s.

Another goal is (was!) to get the area protected. In 2016, both Roebuck Bay and 80 Mile Beach were designated Marine Parks.

The research data and descriptions are hosted at the Netherlands Institute for Sea research:

• The research page
• My profile
• And a short video which I host (from the 2016 fieldwork)