Intertidal permeable sediments are, even more than subtidal sediments (Cook et al. 2007), subject to extreme dynamics due to fast changing environ-mental conditions during inundation and emergence. In such systems, a quasi steady state is rarely reached. Integrative in-situ studies covering a range of spatial and temporal timescales are required to fully quantify the importance of such ecosystems for benthic autotrophic and heterotrophic activity, carbon mineralization and element cycling. Here, small scale spatio-temporal heterogeneity of oxygen (O2) dynamics (mm to cm, min to hours, day and night) and the impact of tides (water level, current speed, wave action, and bed level change) is presented.