The Influence of the Cockle, Cerastoderma edule, on the Macrozoobenthic Community of Tidal Flats in the Wadden Sea

Abstract. The cockle Cerastoderma edule is one of the large and important species of the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea. C. edule disturbs the upper sediment layer due to its crawling and “shaking” behaviour. About 7% of a cockle population move within one week. The mean distance of movement is -4 cm per week, which, in the case of a 2-year-old cockle with a length of ?3 cm, means that ?20 cm² of sediment is disturbed to a depth of ?3 cm. Besides these measurable movements, cockles also regularly “shake” themselves, thereby disturbing the sediment around them to at least ?0.5 cm. At a density of 500 cockles per m² of a mean length of 3 cm, ?16% of the sediment surface is occupied by cockles and another ?29% is disturbed by cockles within one week. To study the effects of cockles on recruitment of other benthic species, densities of 0, 125, 250, 375 and 500 cockles (mean length 3 or 3.5 cm) were added to 1-m² plots within large depopulated squares in April. Subsequently, sediment samples were sieved once a month (from June to September) and the densities of all macrozoobenthic species were estimated. The presence of cockles significantly reduced the densities of juveniles of the bivalve species C. edule, Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, Tellina (Angulus) tenuis, and Ensis directus and of the worm species Pygospio elegans, Lanice conchilega, Eteone longa, Anaitides spec., Nephtys hombergii, Heteromastus filiformis, Scoloplos armiger, and Tharyx marioni and of the amphipods Corophium volutator and C. arenarium. Non-significant effects were found only in Capitella capitata and Nereis diversicolor. For all species mentioned above a negative effect was already observed at the lower cockle densities of 125 - 250 per m². Reductions of about 50% or more were found at densities of 500 per m², which was more than could be expected based on the area occupied by the cockles (?16%), but close to the area occupied plus disturbed (?45%). It is concluded that (dense) assemblages of adult cockles can have a strong influence on the macrozoobenthic community.     

Effects of macroalgal mats and hypoxia on burrowing depth of the New Zealand cockle (Austrovenus stutchburyi)

Macroalgal mats commonly occur in estuaries and sheltered embayments where they are thought to affect the oxygen conditions in the sediment, influence the geochemical process and influence the burrowing activity of bivalves. Laboratory experiments evaluated the effects of sediment hypoxia and algal mats on the burrowing ability and survival of the New Zealand cockle Austrovenus stutchburyi at 15 °C. Both dissolved oxygen concentration and time affected the burial depth of the cockles over the 12 days of the experiment. In hypoxic conditions (<2 mg L^?1), cockles migrated to the sediment surface after 3.5 days and mortality occurred after 11 days. Bivalves exposed to oxygen concentrations of 2–3 mg L^?1 buried closer to the sediment surface than those in the other treatments. Using a simulated tidal regime, in a mesocosm, burrowing behaviour of the cockle and pore-water oxygen conditions in the sediment were measured on exposure to experimental mats of Gracilaria chilensis and Ulva spp. for over 6 days. Algal mats on the surface of the sediment significantly lowered the dissolved oxygen concentration of the sediment pore-water and this effect was greater for the Ulva spp. treatment than the G. chilensis treatment. Cockles were buried more deeply in the control treatment without algae than in either of the two algal treatments. It is concluded that reduced oxygen conditions (<3.5 mg L^?1) develop under macroalgal mats and that this reduces the burial depth of cockles. The potential harmful effects of the mats can depend on the species forming the mat and these effects are likely to be greater in the field than they are in controlled laboratory conditions.     

Correlation of shear strength,hydraulic conductivity,and thermal gradients with sediment disturbance: South Pass region,Mississippi Delta

The degree of sediment disturbance in the South Pass area is correlated to the average hydraulic conductivity, shear strength, and thermal gradient. Hydraulic conductivity averages 18, 6, and 4 × 10^–7 cm/s in the undisturbed, moderately disturbed, and most disturbed sediments, respectively. Shear strength also decreases with increasing disturbance, from 7.6 to 4.4 to 3.5 kPa. Excluding the four stations dominated by annual temperature variations, the remaining 19 thermal gradients correlate well with sediment disturbance. The average gradient is positive in all of the disturbed sediments (0.12 ± 0.07° C/m) and 0 in the undisturbed sediments (0.02 ± 0.05° C/m).     

Rise of the Dormant: Simulated Disturbance Improves Culturable Abundance,Diversity, and Functions of Deep-Sea Bacteria of Central Indian Ocean Basin

The abundance of baroduric bacteria from nine sediment cores (0–10 cm below sea floor) was examined for their response to simulated benthic disturbance in the Central Indian basin (CIB). While the total counts of bacteria decreased from 10⁹ to 10⁶ g^?1 dry wt sediment, the average retrievable counts (CFU-colony forming units) improved by two orders of magnitude, i.e., from 10² 10⁴ g^?1 dry wt sediment. The baroduric retrievable forms were dominated by Acinetobacter and Moraxella sp before the disturbance. After the disturbance the generic diversity was represented by Staphylococcus sp, Enterobacter sp, Micrococcus sp, Coryneforms sp, and Pseudomonas sp in addition to Acinetobacter. These observations were corroborated by changes in enzymatic activities of the retrievable bacteria, which could lead to changes in the biochemical characteristics of the sediment. Thus the simulated disturbance brought about an increase in culturable abundance, taxonomic and functional diversity of deep-sea sediment of the CIB.     

Effects of mechanical macrophyte control on suspended sediment concentrations in streams

Suspended sediment (SS) is an important pollutant in freshwater ecosystems and can be detrimental to fish communities. Although macrophytes mediate sediment deposition, little effort has been put into determining how their removal affects sediment resuspension. The present study examined the immediate and long-term impacts of mechanical macrophyte removal on SS concentrations in streams. The results of this study suggest that bed disturbance during mechanical excavation of macrophytes significantly increases SS in the short term, and concentrations were found to increase by as much as 15,687 mg L^–1 immediately after macrophyte removal. Significant long-term (77 day) increases in SS were also observed, indicating that without macrophytes, disturbed material is continually resuspended after excavation by fluvial processes. These results demonstrate that macrophyte removal can result in SS levels that have previously been shown to harm fish, and indicate that this activity may be more detrimental to fish than previously thought.     

Effects of suction-dredging for cockles on non-target fauna in the Wadden Sea

Suction dredging for cockles removes large cockles from tidal flats and may also cause mortality of non-target fauna and make the habitat less suitable for some species. This study examines whether suction dredging for cockles on tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea had affected densities of non-target fauna, directly after fishing and one year later. Densities of non-target fauna in two randomly chosen undredged locations were compared to densities at the surrounding heavily commercially dredged area. A significant negative effect of cockle dredging on densities of 0-group Macoma balthica was observed and this effect persisted one year after dredging. The dredged area appeared to be less suitable for settlement of mussels Mytilus edulis. No significant effects of dredging on the mudsnail Hydrobia ulvae and on 0 and 1-group C. edule were found. For the mobile young Macoma balthica it seems unlikely that the effect found after one year was still due to the mortality caused by dredging and this suggests that the habitat was less suitable as a consequence of dredging. Thus, even in the highly dynamic ecosystem of the Wadden Sea, effects of bottom disturbance by cockle dredging may persist after one year.     

Effects of substratum type on fish assemblages in shallow areas of a tropical estuary

While there is already a comprehensive understanding of the effects of environmental variables, such as dissolved oxygen, temperature and salinity, on the structure, biomass and metabolism of aquatic biota in estuarine habitats, the effect of sedimentation, a harmful underlying factor, remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in fish assemblages along the freshwater to salt water gradient of a large tropical estuary, and to evaluate the effects on them of habitat disturbance associated with shallow water sedimentation in the intertidal areas. Fish and environmental variables were recorded in the upper, middle and lower salinity zones of the estuary at ebb tide in both the dry and wet seasons. Sediment samples associated with different levels of habitat disturbance were analysed using granulometry, and their organic content and dissolved oxygen levels were quantified. Water temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen levels were also measured. Habitat disturbance was found to be correlated with the density, biomass and richness of fish assemblages. A total of 77 species were recorded, forming two distinct fish assemblages, with the Eleotridae family dominating in the upper zone, and Gerreidae, Gobiidae and Tetraodontidae the most common in the middle and lower estuary. Changes in the structure of fish assemblages, including reductions in density, biomass and richness, were associated with disturbance to natural features, where muddy sediment was replaced by sandy sediment and the quantity of organic matter fell. Atherinella brasiliensis was the species which showed a preference for the disturbed areas in the middle and lower zones, while Dormitator maculatus showed a preference for them in the upper estuary. They may be taken as indicators of habitat disturbance due to shallow sedimentation.     

Reduced survivorship of Himasthla (Trematoda, Digenea)-infected cockles (Cerastoderma edule) exposed to oxygen depletion

Bivalve populations from inshore waters often accommodate a diverse trematode fauna that may have a variety of effects on host specimens. In particular, larval trematodes that grow or reproduce within their host are known to be severe pathogens, whereas trematodes utilising bivalves only for encystment are thought to be relatively benign. Yet this may depend on the environmental conditions, and it can be expected that such trematodes in concert with other stress agents can be detrimental to host organisms. To examine the impact of such larval trematodes on hosts subjected to stress, we studied the digenetic trematode Himasthla elongata and one of its second intermediate hosts, the bivalve Cerastoderma edule. Experimentally infected cockles and non-infected cockles were exposed to oxygen depletion, whereupon we measured their burrowing ability and survivorship. After 30 h of hypoxia, the survival of infected cockles was significantly reduced compared to non-infected cockles, whereas no effect of parasites on cockles under normoxic conditions was found. In addition, parasites tended to reduce the burrowing ability of cockles exposed to hypoxia but the effect was not clear. The effect of parasites and possible ecological consequences are discussed and it is suggested that the combined effects of parasites and oxygen deficiency may explain some hitherto unexplained cases of mass mortalities in bivalve populations.     

Response of Sedimentary Nucleic Acids to Benthic Disturbance in the Central Indian Basin

Information on the response of nucleic acids (i.e., DNA and RNA) to simulated benthic disturbance was obtained from samples collected from eight sediment cores (0–10 cm) located in the Central Indian Basin (CIB). In general the total sedimentary DNA (DNA) increased with depth (from 380.09 to 408.99 μg·g^?1), while total sedimentary RNA (RNA) decreased (from 878.13 to 484.16 μg·g^?1). Following the simulated benthic disturbance brought about by the benthic hydraulic disturber, DNA decreased by 10% along the disturbed track while the RNA increased by around 75%. The RNA/DNA ratio decreased nearly 10%. However, the ratio doubled along the disturbed track suggesting that the activity was stimulated at molecular level following artif icial disturbance. The nucleic acid ratio thus shows that the CIB sediments are metabolically active, and with disturbance the activity tends to increase further.     

The interactive roles of predation and tidal elevation in structuring populations of the edible cockle,Cerastoderma edule

The size and age structure of the Cerastoderma edule population at Traeth Melynog, North Wales, varies dramatically with tidal level. In areas low on the shore up to 96% of cockle spat fail to survive their first summer, but mortality rate subsequently declines and remains at a low level. By contrast cockles high on the shore suffer moderate mortality during their first year (47%), but increasing rates thereafter. High-shore populations consequently consist mainly of smaller (younger) individuals and low-shore ones of a transient spatfall, plus a few larger and older individuals. The potential role of shore crabs, Carcinus maenas, and oystercatchers, Haematopus ostralegus in the determination of these patterns is assessed. Shore crabs move up into the intertidal to feed with each flood tide from about April to December. They selectively consume cockles < 15 mm in length, taking an estimated 236 × 10³ cockles, or 2432 g dry flesh year⁻¹ per linear meter of shoreline, mostly from lower shore levels. Oystercatchers are present only during winter and preferentially select large cockles of at least 20 mm length. They are estimated to remove 9 × 10³ cockles, or 1204 g dry flesh year⁻¹ per linear meter of shoreline, most of this from mid- and high-shore levels. These results indicate that shore crabs are far more important predators than previously suspected, taking 25 × the numbers and 2 × the biomass cosumed by oystercatchers. Predation also appears to be the key factor controlling the structure of the C. edule population. Crabs consume almost all the cockles settling low on the shore during their first summer, but avoid older individuals, which subsequently survive and grow well under low levels of oystercatcher predation. On the high shore, crabs are unimportant and the cockles survive well as they slowly grow into the size range attractive to oystercatchers. Thereafter they suffer increasingly severe winter mortality and are soon eliminated.     

Factors influencing biodeposit production by the New Zealand freshwater mussel Echyridella menziesii

Laboratory experiments on the New Zealand freshwater mussel Echyridella menziesii were used to investigate the short-term effects (7–8 days) of food type on rates of biodeposition and benthic substrate respiration. Post-feeding biodeposition rates ranged from 0.34 to 1.52?mg?g^?1?h^?1 (mean?=?0.50?mg g^?1?h^?1) and were unaffected by the addition of toxin-producing Microcystis. Addition of suspended sediment (30?mg?L^?1) visibly altered substrate composition, and increased total and inorganic biodeposit production rates by 24–33% compared to mussels fed commercial phytoplankton stock. Biodeposition rates of mussels in lake bed substrates were 38% higher than those in silica sand for identical feeding regimes, suggesting that a significant proportion of material produced in this experiment could have been derived from feeding on organic matter in the lake bed sediments. Respiration rates were higher in treatments with Microcystis but were unaffected by the presence of mussels. This laboratory study suggests that biodeposition by E. menziesii is resilient to short-term exposure to Microcystis, and highlights the ability of mussels to alter benthic substrate composition by incorporating suspended sediment into substrates.     

Effects of infauna harvesting on tidal flats of a coastal lagoon (Ria Formosa, Portugal): implications on phosphorus dynamics

The systematic collection of benthic organisms in tidal flats of coastal lagoons should be taken into account for the management of these systems, once sediment disturbance affects biogeochemical processes by favouring pore water renewal during tidal inundation. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effects of infauna harvesting on the phosphorus dynamics of muddy and sandy intertidal areas in the Ria Formosa. Sediment cores and overlying water were collected during August 2000 and February 2001 from reworked and undisturbed sediment before and after flooding. Results obtained showed that during the first minutes of flooding there was a marked decrease of phosphate in pore water of disturbed sediments. However, phosphate tidal fluxes from sandy sediment were clearly higher (17 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in summer and 3 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in winter) than in muddy sediment (0.4 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in summer and -0.01 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in winter). After muddy sediment disturbance concentrations of iron oxides increased quickly (from 5 to 16 micromol g(-1)) and phosphate was sorbed onto these iron oxides, resulting in a buffering of phosphate pore water concentrations at low values in the oxidized sediment zone. The estimated P-output from muddy sediment decreased one to two orders of magnitude after sediment disturbance in contrast to sandy sediments in which the impact of infauna harvesting was minimal. Consequently, the P-cycle is influenced by the disruption of muddy habitats in tide-driven systems. Such information could be useful for the management of the lagoon.     

Factors involved in growth plasticity of cockles Cerastoderma edule (L.), identified by field survey and transplant experiments

In Arcachon Bay, a macrotidal coastal lagoon in southwest France, growth rates of cockles Cerastoderma edule (L.) differ greatly between locations. Sampling of populations at different tidal levels showed that the mean shell length was significantly and positively correlated with immersion time, whereas no correlation was found with population density and microphytobenthos biomass. Transplants of cockles between two intertidal sites were used to examine the relative importance of habitat and site of origin for growth rate and condition index. Artifacts due to manipulation were assessed, i.e. the impact of enclosures on growth, conditon index and mortality. During a 5-mo reciprocal transplant experiment, growth rates of the transplanted cockles and the cockles already present were similar, whereas the sites of origin did not affect growth rate. Condition index, however, displayed significant differences in relation to both transplant and origin sites. During a further 6-mo experiment in which cockles were transplanted from one site to four new sites, growth was mainly influenced by tidal level. These results indicate that net growth started when cockles were immersed 30% of the time. It is concluded that, on the scale of Arcachon Bay (156 km²), differences in growth and condition between cockle populations are largely phenotypic. Tidal level (i.e. food supply and emersion stress) accounts for most of these differences, but the existence of genetically or physiologically different populations cannot be excluded.     

Restoration of Deep-Sea Macrofauna after Simulated Benthic Disturbance in the Central Indian Basin

ABSTRACT

Macrofaunal communities of the Central Indian Basin (CIB) were sampled with a spade before (June 1997), and immediately after (August 1997), and 44 months (April 2001) after a simulated benthic disturbance for polymetallic nodule mining. The average density recorded down to a sediment depth of 40 cm ranged from 89 to 799 ind·m^?2 (mean: 373 ± 221 SD; n = 12) and 178–1066 ind·m^?2 (mean: 507 ± 489 SD; n = 3) in the test and reference area, respectively. Most of the macrobenthic animals (64%) were concentrated in the upper 0 to 2 cm sediment layers, whereas, sizeable fauna (6%) inhabited the 20–40 cm sediment section and the deepest 5 cm section from 35–40 cm contributed only about 2% to the total population density. The fauna, comprised of 12 groups, were dominated by the nematodes, which constituted 54% of the total population. The macrofaunal density in the test site showed a significant increase (x:400 ind·m^?2) in the 44 months postdisturbance sampling (x:320 ind·m^?2). The population of nematodes and oligochaetes was nearly restored after 44 months, but the polychaetes and crustaceans did not reach the baseline populations measured in June 1997. The top 0–2 cm sediment layer was severely affected by the disturber, and the study suggests that physically disturbed deep-sea macrofauna may require a longer period for restoration and resettlement than normally believed.     

Changes in Geotechnical Properties of Sediments from the Central Indian Basin Induced by Disturbance Experiment

During the Indian Deep-sea Environment Experiment (INDEX) conducted in the Central Indian Basin to simulate nodule mining activity, the sediments were physically disturbed, lifted from the seafloor, and then redeposited to study the effects of sediment redistribution on geological, chemical and biological characteristics of benthic environment. The first monitoring cruise, 44 months after the experiment, was part of long-term observations for restoration of conditions. This study describes the effects of the experiment on geotechnical properties of sediments measured in predisturbance, postdisturbance and monitoring phases. To compare the effects, sediment cores were collected from the same locations during the three phases. Siliceous, fine-grained sediments from the study area showed change in geotechnical properties induced due to the disturbance. Marginal increase in natural water content and significant reduction in undrained shear strength at the 0–5 cm sediment layer of cores from the tow zone during postdisturbance was observed. However, during the monitoring phase, an increase in shear strength and reduction in water content was noticed, which might indicate that the sediments are gradually acquiring predisturbance characteristics. The study also revealed that the meiofaunal density has a positive correlation with the water content, but a negative relationship with the shear strength of these siliceous sediments. Specific gravity of solids and porosity showed marginal change, whereas wet density remained unchanged.     

Sediment segregation by biodiffusing bivalves

The selective processing of sediment fractions (sand and mud; >63 μm and ≤63 μm median grain size) by macrofauna was assessed using two size classes of inert, UV-fluorescent sediment fraction tracers (luminophores). The luminophores were applied to the sediment surface in 16 m² replicated plots, defaunated and control, and left to be reworked by infauna for 32 days. As the macrofaunal assemblage in the ambient sediment and the control plots was dominated by the common cockle Cerastoderma edule, this species was used in an additional mesocosm experiment. The diversity, abundance and biomass of the defaunated macrobenthic assemblage did not return to control values within the experimental period. Both erosion threshold and bed elevation increased in the defaunated plots as a response to the absence of macrofauna and an increase in microphytobenthos growth. In the absence of macrobenthos, we observed an accretion of 7 mm sediment, containing ca. 60% mud. Image analysis of the vertical distribution of the different luminophore size classes showed that the cockles preferentially mobilised fine material from the sediment, thereby rendering it less muddy and effectively increasing the sand:mud ratio. Luminophore profiles and budgets of the mesocosm experiment under “no waves–no current” conditions support the field data very well.     

Biological parameters reflecting the current state of the exploited pink dentex Dentex gibbosus (Pisces: Sparidae) population off the Canary Islands

A total of 639 pink dentex Dentex gibbosus was collected in Canary Islands waters between April 1991 and September 1993. Total lengths ranged from 14,2 to 95,2 cm. Females dominated smaller size-classes and males the larger ones. The species was characterized by protogynous hermaphroditism. The overall ratio of males to females was 1 : 1,45. The reproductive period extended from April to September, spawning peaking in June/July. The total lengths at 50% maturity were 34,7 cm for females and 38,6 cm for males. The length-mass relationship for the whole sample can be described by the parameters a = 0,01014 and b = 3,0812. Fish aged 0–16 years were present in the samples. The parameters of the Von Bertalanffy growth equation were: L _∞ = 101,2 cm, k = 0,149·year^?1, and t ₀ = ?0,111 years. The rates of total mortality Z and natural mortality M were 0,57 and 0,28·year^?1 respectively. Rates of fishing mortality F and exploitation E were 0,29 and 0,51·year^?1 respectively. The estimated length at first capture (LC ₅₀) was 17,8 cm total length.     

Changes in distribution patterns of 0-group bivalves in the Wadden Sea: Byssus-drifting releases juveniles from the constraints of hydrography

The large-scale (km) distributional patterns of juvenile bivalves are established by larval settlement and subsequently changed due to actively initiated postlarval migrations (byssus-drifting), resuspension during sediment disturbance, and local differences in mortality. Repeated mapping of 0-group bivalve distribution during two summers was combined with simultaneous registrations of the numbers of drifting specimens. Species differed in their susceptibility to passive resuspension and their activity in byssus-drifting, but the two ways of entry into the water column were independent of each other. As a result, the relative magnitude of byssus-drifting and passive resuspension varied with the species. While hydrographical conditions always determined the changes in the distributional patterns of passively eroded species, this was not the case in active migrations of byssus-drifting bivalves. A comparison of the distributional patterns of juveniles over two consecutive years showed similar patterns in the tellinid clam Macoma balthica and the razor clam Ensis americanus. In these two species spatfall mainly occurred around mean low-tide level. Subsequently, juvenile M. balthica rapidly accumulated in the upper intertidal, whereas juvenile E. americanus accumulated subtidally. In mussels Mytilus edulis the distribution of juveniles only changed in a longshore direction, not in the tidal level occupied. The spatial pattern of cockles Cerastoderma edule changed from aggregation of the early spat in the mid and lower intertidal towards a more uniform distribution of recruits over these tidal flats. There were only a few patches of high abundance left at the end of summer. Finally, in juvenile clams Mya arenaria the spatial patterns of both spatfall and redistribution were unpredictable.On a km-scale, abundance of some species correlated with sediment granulometry. Presumably, this does not reflect a causal relationship but is a consequence of the correlation between grain size distribution and tidal level within the area studied. On a scale of hundreds of metres, there were no consistent correlations between juvenile abundance and sediment granulometry in any species. In summary, it seems that hydrography ruled the initial settlement of larvae to the sediment and strongly influenced the subsequent redistribution of juveniles caused by passive resuspension. The outcome of actively initiated migrations, on the other hand, was only weakly influenced by hydrography. Therefore it is suggested that hydrography plays a dominant role in the initial development of km-scale distributional patterns of just-settled bivalves in the Wadden Sea, while habitat selection is delayed to the byssus-drifting postlarvae phase.     

Assessment of Impact on Seafloor Features in INDEX Area

Abstract

Observations on seafloor features from subbottom profiling and seabed photography data show that the undisturbed and natural conditions before the benthic disturbance undergo a substantial change after operation of the disturber. The effects can be seen in the form of deep trenches and grooves, formed by the action of the sleds and the pumping of the sediment along its path, as well as sediment piles on either side of the track. Biological traces such as fecal coils, casts, tubes, burrows, and trails get obliterated in the areas of disturbance and resedimentation. The smooth, uniform nature of the seafloor observed in pre-disturbance phase shows microtopographic changes in and around the disturbed area as a result of sediment excavation and resettlement. Vertical mixing as well as lateral transport of sediment alter the geological, biological, physical, and chemical conditions on the seafloor, which need to be monitored over time to assess the process and the time taken for restoration of environmental conditions.     

Assessment of Impact on Seafloor Features in INDEX Area

Observations on seafloor features from subbottom profiling and seabed photography data show that the undisturbed and natural conditions before the benthic disturbance undergo a substantial change after operation of the disturber. The effects can be seen in the form of deep trenches and grooves, formed by the action of the sleds and the pumping of the sediment along its path, as well as sediment piles on either side of the track. Biological traces such as fecal coils, casts, tubes, burrows, and trails get obliterated in the areas of disturbance and resedimentation. The smooth, uniform nature of the seafloor observed in predisturbance phase shows microtopographic changes in and around the disturbed area as a result of sediment excavation and resettlement. Vertical mixing as well as lateral transport of sediment alter the geological, biological, physical, and chemical conditions on the seafloor, which need to be monitored over time to assess the process and the time taken for restoration of environmental conditions.