Distinctly variable mudscapes: Distribution gradients of intertidal macrofauna across the Dutch Wadden Sea

► Macrofaunal assemblages changed along multiple gradients across the Dutch Wadden Sea. ► From west to east, biomass of individual species varied and total biomass increased. ► Assemblage change was most associated with median grain size, followed by five other variables. ► The Wadden Sea is an environmentally and biologically heterogeneous system.