Wave attenuation by flexible,idealized salt marsh vegetation

Wave attenuation by vegetation is a highly dynamic process and its quantification is important for understanding shore protection potential and modeling coastal hydrodynamics. Data documenting the interactions of Spartina alterniflora, represented by polyolefin tubing, and single- and double-peaked irregular waves were collected in a large-scale laboratory flume. The laboratory provided a controlled environment to evaluate wave attenuation, including the parameters of stem density, submergence, wave height, and peak period. Wave attenuation appeared to be most dependent on stem density and the ratio of stem length to water depth. Wave attention increased slightly with wave height while no clear trend with respect to wave period was seen. Treating double-peaked spectra as superimposed wave systems revealed a preferential dissipation of the higher-frequency wave system relative to the lower-frequency wave system under emergent conditions. Wave energy loss occurred at all frequencies of both spectral types, with dissipation increasing with frequency above the spectral peak. Parameterizing the spectral equilibrium range as a function of frequency showed a steepening of the spectral tail compared to the − 4 power law under emergent conditions. An empirical relationship defining the bulk drag coefficient for S. alterniflora as a function of the stem Reynolds number is found to serve as a first estimate for engineering applications.     

Experiments on Surface Waves Interacting with Flexible Aquatic Vegetation

Surface wave interaction with aquatic vegetation appears to play a key role in coastal hydro-morpho-dynamics. As an example, the presence of a dense meadow at intermediate water depth is usually associated with a stable and resilient shore. Wave-meadow interactions are investigated here by means of physical modelling, with a focus on wave height distribution and hydrodynamics. The central part of a wave flume is covered by flexible artificial seagrass, composed of polyethylene leaves. This vegetation is tested in both near emergent and submerged conditions. The wave height reduction is evaluated by means of a drag coefficient defined from linear wave theory, which contains all the unknowns of the adopted methodology. The behaviour of such a coefficient is investigated as a function of a wave related Reynolds number. The influence of the flexibility of the leaves is also considered, together with a wave frequency parameter. The results show a complex behaviour with three different trends for near rigid, intermediate or highly flexible leaves. Amplitudes of the orbital velocities are investigated and show a fairly good match with the linear wave theory. On the contrary, the mean velocity along the water column appears to be modified by the seagrass for submerged leaves.     

Laboratory study of wave and turbulence velocities in a broad-banded irregular wave surf zone

The characteristics of wave and turbulence velocities created by a broad-banded irregular wave train breaking on a 1:35 slope were studied in a laboratory wave flume. Water particle velocities were measured simultaneously with wave elevations at three cross-shore locations inside the surf zone. The measured data were separated into low-frequency and high-frequency time series using a Fourier filter. The measured velocities were further separated into organized wave-induced velocities and turbulent velocity fluctuations by ensemble averaging. The broad-banded irregular waves created a wide surf zone that was dominated by spilling type breakers. A wave-by-wave analysis was carried out to obtain the probability distributions of individual wave heights, wave periods, peak wave velocities, and wave-averaged turbulent kinetic energies and Reynolds stresses. The results showed that there was a consistent increase in the kurtosis of the vertical velocity distribution from the surface to the bottom. The abnormally large downward velocities were produced by plunging breakers that occurred from time to time. It was found that the mean of the highest one-third wave-averaged turbulent kinetic energy values in the irregular waves was about the same as the time-averaged turbulent kinetic energy in a regular wave with similar deep-water wave height to wavelength ratio. It was also found that the correlation coefficient of the Reynolds stress varied strongly with turbulence intensity. Good correlation between u′ and w′ was obtained when the turbulence intensity was high; the correlation coefficient was about 0.3–0.5. The Reynolds stress correlation coefficient decreased over a wave cycle, and with distance from the water surface. Under the irregular breaking waves, turbulent kinetic energy was transported downward and landward by turbulent velocity fluctuations and wave velocities, and upward and seaward by the undertow. The undertow in the irregular waves was similar in vertical structure but lower in magnitude than in regular waves, and the horizontal velocity profiles under the low-frequency waves were approximately uniform.     

Prediction of berm geometry using a set of laboratory tests combined with teaching–learning-based optimization and artificial bee colony algorithms

Understanding sediment movement in coastal areas is crucial in planning the stability of coastal structures, the recovery of coastal areas, and the formation of new coast. Accretion or erosion profiles form as a result of sediment movement. The characteristics of these profiles depend on the bed slope, wave conditions, and sediment properties. Here, experimental studies were performed in a wave flume with regular waves, considering different values for the wave height (H₀), wave period (T), bed slope (m), and mean sediment diameter (d₅₀). Accretion profiles developed in these experiments, and the geometric parameters of the resulting berms were determined. Teaching–learning-based optimization (TLBO) and artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithms were applied to regression functions of the data from the physical model. Dimensional and dimensionless equations were found for each parameter. These equations were compared to data from the physical model, to determine the best equation for each parameter and to evaluate the performances of the TLBO and ABC algorithms in the estimation of the berm parameters. Compared to the ABC algorithm, the TLBO algorithm provided better accuracy in estimating the berm parameters. Overall, the equations successfully determined the berm parameters.     

Assessment of substratum effect on the distribution of two invasive Caulerpa (Chlorophyta) species

Two-year monitoring of the invasive marine Chlorophyta Caulerpa taxifolia and Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea shows the great influence of substratum on their spatial distribution. The cover of C. taxifolia and C. racemosa was measured in shallow (<8 m) areas indicating that these species are more abundant in rocks with photophilic algae and in the dead matte of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica than in sand or inside the P. oceanica meadow. A short-term experiment comparing the persistence of C. taxifolia and C. racemosa planted either in a model of dead matte of P. oceanica or in sand shows that the persistence of these species was higher in the dead matte model than in sand. Correlative evidence suggests that C. taxifolia and C. racemosa tolerate near-bottom orbital velocities below 15 cm s^?1 and that C. taxifolia cover declines at velocities above that value. These results contribute to understand the process of invasion of these Caulerpa species predicting which substrata would be more susceptible to be invaded and to the adoption of appropriate management strategies.     

The effect of hydrodynamics on shell orientation and population density of Pinna nobilis in the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia,Italy)

Pinna nobilis is the largest endemic bivalve of the Mediterranean Sea, declared protected since 1992. Although hydrodynamic stress induced by waves is known to influence density, size and orientation of P. nobilis, the effect of other hydrological features is unknown. This paper considers a P. nobilis population living within a Posidonia oceanica meadow in the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia, Italy). We hypothesize that spatial differences in density and orientation of P. nobilis may be related to significant wave height (H_S), wave direction (D_W), bottom current direction (D_BC) and bottom current speed (S_BC). A population of P. nobilis was investigated at different sites and its distribution was correlated to hydrodynamics by means of a numerical modeling approach. The spatial distribution was patchy, with a density of 0.06–6.7 ind. 100 m^− 2. A non-uniform distribution of shell orientations (O_S) was demonstrated in 4 sites out of 6. D_BC and S_BC were the main factors affecting O_S, while waves had little influence. A S_BC of 0.07 m s^− 1 appears to be the threshold for inducing specimen directionality with shells aligned to the current and the ventral side exposed to the flow. This suggests that feeding strategy is a key factor in determining O_S, in addition to drag minimization. We also highlighted the role of adjacent lagoons in supporting high densities as a result of high food availability. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of modeling techniques in explaining the spatial distribution pattern of P. nobilis and in contributing to our knowledge of its ecological traits.     

Hydrodynamic coefficients for inclined cylinders

The wave induced dynamic pressures around a circular cylinder of diameter 0.2 m due to regular waves were measured in a wave flume in a water depth of 1 m and in a wave basin in a water depth of 3 m. The experimental investigations were carried out with the cylinder inclined along and against the direction of wave propagation. The least-squares technique was employed to evaluate the coefficients of drag (C_D) and inertia (C_M) from the sectional force time histories obtained by integrating the measured circumferential pressure distribution. The variation of drag and inertia coefficients are presented as a function of Keulegan-Carpenter number (KC) for different inclinations of the cylinder. The comparison between the measured and the theoretical force derived from the evaluated hydrodynamic coefficients is found to be good.     

Influence of wave climate on architecture and landscape characteristics of Posidonia oceanica meadows

Seagrass meadow characteristics, including distribution, shape, size and within‐meadow architectural features, may be influenced by various physical factors, including hydrodynamic forces. However, such influences have hardly been assessed for meadows of the ecologically important and endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica. The distribution of P. oceanica meadows at five sites in the Maltese Islands was mapped to a depth of c. 15 m using a combination of aerial photography and SCUBA diving surveys. Estimates of wind‐generated wave energy and energy attenuated by depth were computed using the hydrodynamic model WEMo (Wave Exposure Model). Metrics for P. oceanica landscape features were calculated using FRAGSTATS for replicate 2500 m² subsamples taken from the seagrass habitat maps in order to explore the influence of wave dynamics at the landscape scale. Data on within‐meadow architectural attributes were collected from five sites and analysed for relationships with wave energy. The results indicate that landscape and architectural features of P. oceanica meadows located within the 6–11 m depth range are significantly influenced by wave climate. Posidonia oceanica meadows tend to be patchier and have low overall cover, more complex patch shapes and reduced within‐patch architectural complexity along a wave exposure gradient from low to high energy. The findings from the present study provide new insight into the influence of hydrodynamic factors on the natural dynamism of P. oceanica meadow landscape and architecture, which has implications for the conservation and management of the habitat.     

Prediction of geometrical properties of perfect breaking waves on composite breakwaters

Breaking wave loads on coastal structures depend primarily on the type of wave breaking at the instant of impact. When a wave breaks on a vertical wall with an almost vertical front face called the “perfect breaking”, the greatest impact forces are produced. The correct prediction of impact forces from perfect breaking of waves on seawalls and breakwaters is closely dependent on the accurate determination of their configurations at breaking. The present study is concerned with the determination of the geometrical properties of perfect breaking waves on composite-type breakwaters by employing artificial neural networks. Using a set of laboratory data, the breaker crest height, h_b, breaker height, H_b, and water depth in front of the wall, d_w, from perfect breaking of waves on composite breakwaters are predicted using the artificial neural network technique and the results are compared with those obtained from linear and multi-linear regression models. The comparisons of the predicted results from the present models with measured data show that the h_b, H_b and d_w values, which represent the geometry of waves breaking directly on composite breakwaters, can be predicted more accurately by artificial neural networks compared to linear and multi-linear regressions.     

One-dimensional modelling of individual waves and wave-induced longshore currents in the surf zone

A probabilistic model ( -model) was developed to describe the propagation and transformation of individual waves (wave by wave approach). The individual waves shoal until an empirical criterion for breaking is satisfied. Wave height decay after breaking is modelled by using an energy dissipation method. Wave-induced set-up and set-down and breaking-associated longshore currents are also modelled. Laboratory and field data were used to calibrate and verify the model. The model was calibrated by adjusting the wave breaking coefficient (as a function of local wave steepness and bottom slope) to obtain optimum agreement between measured and computed wave height. Four tests carried out in the large Delta flume of Delft Hydraulics were considered. Generally, the measured H_1/3-wave heights are reasonably well represented by the model in all zones from deep water to the shallow surf zone. The fraction of breaking waves was reasonably well represented by the model in the upsloping zones of the bottom profile. Verification of the model results with respect to wave-induced longshore current velocities was not extensive, because of a lack of data. In case of a barred profile the measured longshore velocities showed a relatively uniform distribution in the (trough) zone between the bar crest and the shoreline, which could to some extent be modelled by including space-averaging of the radiation force gradient, horizontal mixing and longshore water surface gradients related to variations in set-up. In case of a monotonically upsloping profile the cross-shore distribution of the longshore current velocities is reasonably well represented.     

Human influence on seagrass habitat fragmentation in NW Mediterranean Sea

Habitat fragmentation in meadows of Posidonia oceanica, the most important and abundant seagrass in the Mediterranean Sea, was investigated at a region-wide spatial scale using a synthetic ecological index, the Patchiness Index (PI). We tested the hypothesis that human impacts are the major factor responsible for habitat fragmentation in P. oceanica meadows contrasting fragmentation of meadows located in “anthropized” areas with that of meadows located in areas with low anthropization and considered as virtually “natural”. We also related fragmentation of meadow with the morphodynamic state of the submerged beach (i.e. distinctive types of beach produced by the topography, the wave climate and the sediment composition) in order to investigate the influence of one natural component on the seagrass meadow seascape. Results demonstrated that fragmentation in the P. oceanica meadows is strongly influenced by the human component, being lower in natural meadows than in anthropized ones, and that it is little influenced by the morphodynamic state of the coast. The use of landscape approaches to discriminate natural disturbance from human impacts that affect seagrass meadows is thus recommended for the proper management of coastal zones.     

Effect of wave amplitude on turbulent flow in a wavy channel by direct numerical simulation

The present study numerically investigates the characteristics of three-dimensional turbulent flow in a wavy channel. For the purpose of a careful observation of the effect of the wave amplitude on the turbulent flow, numerical simulations are performed at a various range of the wave amplitude to wavelength ratio (0.01?α/λ?0.05), where the wavelength is fixed with the same value of the mean channel height (H). The immersed boundary method is used to handle the wavy surface in a rectangular grid system, using the finite volume method. The Reynolds number (Re=U_bH/ν) based on the bulk velocity (U_b) is fixed at 6760. The present computational results for a wavy surface are well compared with those of references. When α/λ=0.02, the small recirculating flow occurs near the trough at the instant, but the mean reverse flow is not observed. In the mean flow field, the reverse flow appears from α/λ=0.03 among the wave amplitude considered in this study. The domain of the mean reverse flow defined by the locations of separation and reattachment depends strongly on the wave amplitude. The pressure drag coefficient augments with increasing the wave amplitude. The friction drag coefficient shows the increase and decrease behavior according to the wave amplitude. The quantitative information about the flow variables such as the distribution of pressure and shear stress on the wavy surface is highlighted.     

波浪非线性对海草消波特性的影响

海草所形成的植物消波体系能有效防止岸线的侵蚀。利用Sánchez-González等的实验数据分析了波浪非线性对海草消波特性的影响。研究结果表明,相对水深和波陡对海草床的波能衰减系数影响依赖于海草淹没度。相对波高一定时,拖曳力系数随相对水深的增大而增大。对给定的相对水深,拖曳力系数随波陡的增大而减小。波浪非线性对于规则波和非规则波海草消波特性的影响并不一致。用无量纲参数（邱卡数、雷诺数、厄塞尔数）表达拖曳力系数的效果取决于拖曳力系数与无量纲参数的关系中是否充分考虑波浪非线性对拖曳力系数的影响。     

Local balance in the air-sea boundary processes

A new growth equation for wind waves of simple spectrum is presented upon three basic concepts. The period and the wave height of significant waves in dimensionless forms, which are considered to correspond to the peak frequency and the energy level, respectively, are used as representative quantities of wind waves. One of the three basic concepts is the concept of local balance, and the other two concern the acquisition of wave energy and the dissipation of wave energy, respectively. It is shown from some actual data that the equation, together with two universal constants concerning the acquisition and the dissipation of wave energy (B=6.2×10^?2 andK=2.16×10^?5, respectively), is applied universally to wide ranges of wind waves from those in a wind-wave tunnel to fully developed sea in the open ocean. “The three-second power law for wind waves of simple spectrum”, and a few relations as the lemmas, are derived, such that the mean surface transport due to the orbital motion of wind waves is always proportional to the friction velocity in wind, and that the steepness is inversely proportional to the root of the wave age. It is also derived that the portion of wind stress which directly enters the wind waves decreases exponentially with increasing wave age and is 7.5 % of the total wind stress for very young waves. Also, equations are presented as to the increase of momentum of drift current, and as to the supply of turbulent energy by wind waves into the upper ocean.     

新型直立式透空堤消浪性能数值研究

为使防波堤同时具有良好的掩护效果和水体交换能力,提出了两种带有透浪通道的新型直立式防波堤。基于Fluent求解器建立了三维数值波浪水槽,通过与试验结果对比,验证了该数值水槽求解波浪与透空堤作用具有较高的精度。对两种防波堤在规则波作用下的透浪特性进行了研究,结果表明:透射系数K_t与透空率呈正线性相关,且可通过调整透浪通道间距,使相同透空率下K_t降低20%～30%。对同一结构,K_t随相对波长的增大而显著增大,但受相对波高的影响较小。在透空率大于0.16后,异型沉箱防波堤的消浪性能明显优于错位沉箱。基于数值计算结果,给出了以上两种透空堤波浪透射系数的经验公式。     

Numerical study for vegetation effects on coastal wave propagation by using nonlinear Boussinesq model

The vegetation has important impacts on coastal wave propagation. In the paper, the sensitivities of coastal wave attenuation due to vegetation to incident wave height, wave period and water depth, as well as vegetation configurations are numerically studied by using the fully nonlinear Boussinesq model. The model is based on the implementation of drag resistances due to vegetation in the fully nonlinear Boussinesq equation where the drag resistance is provided by the Morison’s formulation for rigid structure induced drag stresses. The model is firstly validated by comparing with the experimental results for wave propagation in vegetation zones. Subsequently, the model is used to simulate waves with different height, period propagating on vegetation zones with different water depth and vegetation configurations. The sensitivities of wave attenuation to incident wave height, wave period, water depth, as well as vegetation configurations are investigated based on the numerical results. The numerical results indicate that wave height attenuation due to vegetation is sensitive to incident wave height, wave period, water depth, as well as vegetation configurations, and attenuation ratio of wave height is increased monotonically with increases of incident wave height and decreases of water depth, while it is complex for wave period. Moreover, more vegetation segments can strengthen the interaction of vegetation and wave in a certain range.     

An experimental study on geometric characteristics of beach erosion profiles

The beach profile and sediment transport are very important factors in the design of coastal structures, and the beach profile is mainly affected by a number of parameters, such as wave height and period, beach slope, and the material properties of the bed. In this study, considering wave height (H₀=6.5, 11.5, 16, 20, 23, 26 and 30 cm), wave period (T=1.46 and 2.03 s), beach slope (m=1/10 and 1/15) and mean sediment diameter (d₅₀=0.18, 0.26, 0.33 and 0.40 mm), an experimental investigation of coastal erosion profile (storm profile) was carried out in a wave flume using regular waves, and geometric characteristics of erosion profile were determined by the resultant erosion profile. Dimensional and non-dimensional equations were obtained by using linear and non-linear regression methods through the experimental data and were compared with previously developed equations in the literature. The results have shown that the experimental data fitted well to the proposed equations with respect to the previously developed equations.     

Influence of the seagrass,Zostera marina L., on current flow

A salt-water flume was used to describe the mechanics of current flow around an articial Zostera marina meadow. Shear velocity and roughness height were positively correlated with seagrass surface area, and were positively/negatively correlated with current velocity. Current velocity intrusion into the meadow before diminution and maximum reduction (both at the 2 cm height line) proceed by factors of 1·25 and 2·07 cm into the meadow per cm s^?1 of current velocity, respectively.Froude number was correlated with mean bending angle of the canopy as a whole. Maximum bending had occurred with Froude = 1, but most bending had taken place by Froude = 0·4, a velocity of 40–50 cm s^?1 in this experiment.The meadow edge is the most dynamic zone of a seagrass meadow in regard to current flow. Bending of the shoot canopy is a mechanism for re-direction of current flow and in-canopy reduction of current velocity. Meadow dimensions may be regulated by scouring processes in different hydraulic regimes. Shoot bending and subsequent in-meadow current velocity reduction are mechanisms that affect self-shading and photosynthetic capabilities as well as providing habitat stability.