Harald Marencic has been with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat for 27 years. At the end of May 2023, he will retire.

As migratory birds are returning from their southern wintering grounds to their breeding sites in the Wadden Sea, in view of the experience in 2022, researchers and site managers are concerned about new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in colonially breeding birds.

The scale of the outbreak of the bird flu, more specifically the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), in the North Sea region in the breeding season of 2022 was unprecedented.

The joint research call aims to protect and preserve the Wadden Sea's Outstanding Universal Value and integrity.

Each January, counts of migratory waterbirds take place in all key wetland sites along the East Atlantic Flyway. The year 2023 represents the 4th time that these efforts are intensified to cover major wetland sites in almost all countries belonging to this flyway, therefore being called ‘total counts’.

The trilateral Wadden Sea is a highly dynamic area, providing shelter from predators and rich feeding grounds for a host of fish species.