Seabed properties and sediment erodibility along the western Adriatic margin,Italy

During February and June of 2003, selected physical and biological sediment properties were measured at nine mud-bottom sites (11–22 m) along the western margin of the Adriatic Sea. Seabed properties were compared with shipboard measurements of sediment erodibility made at the same sites to gain insight into the physical and biological controls on sediment erodibility operating in the western Adriatic. In addition, spatial patterns of erodibility were compared with long-term records of sediment accumulation in the region to determine if patterns of erodibility were responsible for the discrepancy between sediment sources and sinks on the shelf. Results indicate that sediment erodibility along the western Adriatic Sea varied both in time and space. In the wintertime, sediment in the vicinity of the Po delta (in the northern region) was less easily eroded than to the south. In the summertime, the pattern reversed. The physical characteristics of the seabed including porosity and grain-size were important factors controlling erodibility during the winter, although in a manner opposite to expectations (i.e., higher porosity sediment was less erodible). No relationship between the physical characteristics of the seabed and erodibility was observed in the summer, when it was likely that erodibility was influenced by benthic organisms, especially microphytobenthos. Results of this study suggest long-term sediment accumulation patterns along the western Adriatic Sea are unlikely to be controlled by patterns of erodibility. However, due to several complicating factors, especially along-margin variability in wave energy, the impact of sediment erodibility on long-term patterns of accumulation remains unclear. Further studies that resolve both finer and larger-scale spatial and temporal variability in sediment erodibility and that incorporate year-to-year forcing of the coastal ocean are needed to more accurately resolve the relationship between erodibility and sediment accumulation in the western Adriatic, as well as other coastal environments.     

Validation of soft bottom benthic habitats identified by single-beam acoustics

Acoustic diversity charts were produced for a Portuguese soft bottom mid-shelf area, depth from 30 to 90 m, using a single-beam echo sounder coupled to the acoustic systems QTC VIEW Series IV and V. A similar acoustic pattern was identified by both systems, which, after ground-truth interpretation based in available sediment and biological data, established a preliminary spatial distribution model of the benthic habitats in this coastal area. However, some of the acoustic areas were interpreted using one or very few sediment and benthic samples. A specific validation survey was conducted a posteriori, in which the positioning of the sediment and benthic community sampling sites was based on the acoustic diversity previously identified. The results clearly confirm the benthic habitats distribution model suggested by the acoustic method, indicating a high potential for the use of such approach in the identification and mapping of large-scale soft bottom coastal shelf habitat diversity.     

The cycling and fate of terrestrially-derived sediments and nutrients in the coastal zone of the Great Barrier Reef shelf

The coastal zone of the Great Barrier Reef shelf, with an area of 30,000 km(2) and a water volume of 300 km(3), receives an average annual input of sediment on the order of 14-28 Mty(-1)--an estimated two- to fourfold increase since European settlement. There is considerable concern about the impact and ultimate fate of terrestrially-derived nutrients entering the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). Analysis of current data suggests that microbial communities in coastal waters and in unconsolidated sediments metabolise nutrients equivalent to the entire dissolved and particulate nutrient load debouched from land. River-derived nutrients account for 40-80% of the carbon, 13-30% of the nitrogen, and 2-5% of the phosphorus necessary to support the observed rates of benthic and pelagic mineralisation in Princess Charlotte Bay in the far north, and in Rockingham Bay and Missionary Bay in the central section, of the GBRWHA. Nearly all nitrogen is ultimately returned to the atmosphere via denitrification. There is little net burial of nutrients in subtidal sediments. These budget estimates are based on a sparse data set, but it is clear that marine sources of nutrients (N-fixation by pelagic and benthic cyanobacteria) must be important, but the magnitude of these sources is poorly known and likely to be highly variable in space and time. Data from sediment trap deployments suggest that, despite significant re-suspension, sedimentation fluxes are sufficient to balance benthic mineralisation rates. Most organic material deposited to the benthos appears to be flocculent or colloidal aggregates, perhaps formed via microbial mediation and exudation of extra-cellular material. The geophysical dynamics of the coastal boundary layer plays an important role in concentrating biological and biogeochemical activity within a shallow, narrow coastal zone. Mangroves and tidal flats are small in area, but trap, transform, and store a disproportionate amount of sediment and organic matter within the GBRWHA. The highly efficient use of terrestrially-derived nutrients by benthic and pelagic microbes in the coastal zone helps to explain why coral reefs on the middle and outer shelf have remained relatively unscathed despite a significant increase in sediment delivery.     

Effects of the closure of a major sewage outfall on sublittoral, soft sediment benthic communities

The present study examines the benthos within western inner Swansea Bay (Wales, UK), for the period before, during and immediately after the cessation of a major, sewage discharge from Mumbles Head. There have been significant improvements in seawater quality and changes in the species composition of the benthic communities following the cessation of the sewage discharge. There has been an increase in the diversity of deposit feeders, especially the amphipods, and a decrease in the diversity of the filter feeders, especially the polychaetes. Changes are not attributable either to sediment organic matter content or to gross changes in sediment type, but are related to the significant reduction in suspended particulate organic material and sewage contaminants discharged to the Bay. A recovery model has been proposed to describe how soft sediment benthic communities in a shallow, sublittoral, high tidal energy environment respond to the abrupt cessation of a major sewage discharge.     

The State of Benthic Communities and Water Quality Evaluation in the Cheboksary Reservoir

Present-day quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the Cheboksary Reservoir have been investigated, and data on the biological diversity of benthic organisms have been compared to those of hydrobiological studies carried out in the region prior to the reservoir construction. The reservoir bottom communities include 75 species and forms of benthos. The reservoir water quality has been evaluated using different methods, including the determination of the degree of morphological structure abnormalities in chironomid larvae, regarded as sublethal indicators of bottom sediment pollution with toxic substances.     

Synergy of satellite remote sensing and numerical modeling for monitoring of suspended particulate matter

Monitoring and modeling of the distribution of suspended particulate matter (SPM) is an important task, especially in coastal environments. Several SPM models have been developed for the North Sea. However, due to waves in shallow water and strong tidal currents in the southern part of the North Sea, this is still a challenging task. In general there is a lack of measurements to determine initial distributions of SPM in the bottom sediment and essential model parameters, e.g., appropriate exchange coefficients. In many satellite-borne ocean color images of the North Sea a plume is visible, which is caused by the scattering of light at SPM in the upper ocean layer. The intensity and length of the plume depends on the wave and current climate. It is well known that the SPM plume is especially obvious shortly after strong storm events. In this paper a quasi-3-D and a 3-D SPM transport model are presented. Utilizing the synergy of satellite-borne ocean color data with numerical models, the vertical exchange coefficients due to currents and waves are derived. This results in models that for the first time are able to reproduce the temporal and spatial evolution of the plume intensity. The SPM models consist of several modules to compute ocean dynamics, the vertical and horizontal exchange of SPM in the water column, and exchange processes with the seabed such as erosion, sedimentation, and resuspension. In the bottom layer, bioturbation via benthos and diffusion processes is taken into account.Responsible Editor: Jörg-Olaf Wolff     

Benthic community response to habitat variation: A case of study from a natural protected area,the Celestun coastal lagoon

Little information currently exists on spatial and temporal benthic community variations in tropical coastal lagoons. Here, the benthic community response to habitat variation in the Celestun coastal lagoon, northwest Yucatan peninsula, was seasonally examined during the 1994–1995 climatic cycle into a grid of 12 sampling sites distributed along the salinity gradient of the lagoon. Habitat variation was assessed through physical factors associated both to the water column (e.g. salinity) and the bottom sediment (e.g. sand, silt and clay fractions). The benthic community response was assessed through species diversity measures and abundance. Under the influence of climatic seasonality, variations in habitat conditions followed by changes in the benthic community characteristics were expected. Results from two-way ANOVAs showed that for the period of study, Celestun lagoon was more heterogeneous along the spatial axis of variability than along the temporal one. Multiple regression analysis showed that salinity was spatially the main factor influencing the benthic community characteristics. Temporally, the sediment characteristics were observed to exert significant effects on the species diversity characteristics but not on abundance. Other variables assessed (dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and water column transparency) exhibited no significant covariance with species diversity and abundance. Since generated from historical data, these results have the potential to be useful as a benchmark to the establishment of monitoring programs in the light of the increasing anthropogenic pressure on the natural resources of the lagoon and surrounding coastal area.     

Numerical modeling of bedload and suspended load contributions to morphological evolution of the Seine Estuary (France)

This numerical modeling study (i) assesses the influence of the sediment erosion process on the sediment dynamics and subsequent morphological changes of a mixed-sediment environment, the macrotidal Seine estuary, when non-cohesive particles are dominant within bed mixtures (non-cohesive regime), and (ii) investigates respective contributions of bedload and suspended load in these dynamics. A three dimensional (3D) process-based morphodynamic model was set up and run under realistic forcings (including tide, waves, wind, and river discharge) during a 1-year period. Applying erosion homogeneously to bed sediment in the non-cohesive regime, i.e., average erosion parameters in the erosion law (especially the erodibility parameter, E₀), leads to higher resuspension of fine sediment due to the presence of coarser fractions within mixtures, compared to the case of an independent treatment of erosion for each sediment class. This results in more pronounced horizontal sediment flux (two-fold increase for sand, +30% for mud) and erosion/deposition patterns (up to a two-fold increase in erosion over shoals, generally associated with some coarsening of bed sediment). Compared to observed bathymetric changes, more relevant erosion/deposition patterns are derived from the model when independent resuspension fluxes are considered in the non-cohesive regime. These results suggest that this kind of approach may be more relevant when local grain-size distributions become heterogeneous and multimodal for non-cohesive particles. Bedload transport appears to be a non-dominant but significant contributor to the sediment dynamics of the Seine Estuary mouth. The residual bedload flux represents, on average, between 17 and 38% of the suspended sand flux, its contribution generally increasing when bed sediment becomes coarser (can become dominant at specific locations). The average orientation of residual fluxes and erosion/deposition patterns caused by bedload generally follow those resulting from suspended sediment dynamics. Sediment mass budgets cumulated over the simulated year reveal a relative contribution of bedload to total mass budgets around 25% over large erosion areas of shoals, which can even become higher in sedimentation zones. However, bedload-induced dynamics can locally differ from the dynamics related to suspended load, resulting in specific residual transport, erosion/deposition patterns, and changes in seabed nature.     

Simulating the fate of mechanically eroded masses in the Thermaikos Gulf

Benthic trawlers, through the scraping of the upper layers of the seabed sediment, are responsible for major alterations to the distribution of suspended matter in coastal areas. A major trawling site in Greece is that of the Gulf of Thermaikos, located in the NW Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean). In an attempt to assess, for the first time, the quantities of the mobilized sedimentary masses and the properties of their motion in the aquatic domain of the Gulf of Thermaikos, a mathematical model has been formulated. The modeling approach includes the determination of the mechanical erosion rate, the production of turbulence due to the flow through the mesh of the net and the physical processes that control the propagation of the generated sedimentary plume in the marine environment. In the absence of information regarding the haul paths in the gulf, their determination was made stochastically, based on the existing legislative restrictions and trawlers' fishing practices. The trawling-activated masses thereby defined for the duration of the trawling period in the gulf were very high, indeed several times greater than the related contribution from the major rivers of the area, emphasizing the significance of the activity to the sedimentary input of the local marine environment. The total annual erosion by trawls in the gulf was calculated at 3.38×10⁶ t/yr. Τhe mean mechanical erosion rate per trawled surface (parameter free from the bias raised by the stochastic simulation of the trawl trajectories) was estimated at 430 g/m², values directly comparable to ones defined for similar coastal areas. Results from a simulation of the 2001–02 trawling period were well correlated with in-situ measurements for the same period, while the investigation of the matter's suspension level and times revealed that the matter exhibits low residence times in the water column and at the same time moves in the vicinity of the bed, contributing to the formation and distribution of benthic nepheloid layers in the gulf.     

Biogeomorphology in the marine landscape: Modelling the feedbacks between patches of the polychaete worm Lanice conchilega and tidal sand waves

Tidal sand waves are dynamic bedforms found in coastal shelf seas. Moreover, these areas are inhabited by numerous benthic species, of which the spatial distribution is linked to the morphological structure of sand waves. In particular, the tube-building worm Lanice conchilegais of interest as this organism forms small mounds on the seabed, which provide shelter to other organisms. We investigate how the interactions between small-scale mounds (height ∼dm) and large-scale sand waves (height ∼m) shape the bed of the marine environment. To this end, we present a two-way coupled process-based model of sand waves and tube-building worm patches in Delft3D. The population density evolves according to a general law of logistic growth, with the bed shear stress controlling the carrying capacity. Worm patches are randomly seeded and the tubes are mimicked by small cylinders that influence flow and turbulence, thereby altering sediment dynamics. Model results relate the patches with the highest worm densities to the sand wave troughs, which qualitatively agrees with field observations. Furthermore, the L. conchilegatubes trigger the formation of sandy mounds on the seabed. Because of the population density distribution, the mounds in the troughs can be several centimetres higher than on the crests. Regarding sand wave morphology, the combination of patches and mounds are found to shorten the time-to-equilibrium. Also, if the initial bed comprised small sinusoidal sand waves, the equilibrium wave height decreased with a few decimetres compared to the situation without worm patches. As the timescale of mound formation (years) is shorter than that of sand wave evolution (decades), the mounds induce (and accelerate) sand wave growth on a similar spatial scale to the mounds. Initially, this leads to shorter sand waves than they would be in an abiotic environment. However, near equilibrium the wavelengths tend towards their abiotic counterparts again. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

FIELD OBSERVATIONS ON BED SEDIMENTS AND SANDWAVES IN CHANGJIANG ESTUARY

A series of advanced instruments were applied to obtain the field data of bed, bed forms and relevant dynamic factors in the 150 km-long reach of the Changjiang River from Jiangyin to Hengsha Island in March 2002. We found that well-sorted fine sand was in the majority of the bed sediment,which had a median diameter of 2φ. Well-developed sandwaves were formed because the grains jumped together on the bed, which was related to the granularity and current velocity during theflood-ebb tidal cycles.     

网格嵌套技术在模拟海底沙波运移中的应用Ⅱ——南海北部沙波运移

本文发展了一套适用于模拟我国南海北部小尺度沙波运移的数值模型,该模型由超高分辨率三维海洋环境数值模块和泥沙运移模块组成,综合考虑了地形、潮汐、温盐和风应力等因素对海底流场和沙波运移的影响,可模拟时间间隔一年以上的沙波运移.研究发现,沙脊两侧沙波运移方向相反是潮汐、地形与温盐三方面因素综合作用的结果,其中温盐分布所导致的密度流是沙波运移中不可忽略的因素之一.与实测结果比较证明,本文模拟结果优于2DV模型和Q3D模型,并且可模拟沙脊两侧沙波运移方向翻转的现象.     

Use of colonization baskets for the investigation of disturbance phenomena in streams under model conditions

Seminatural substrates were used to mimic conditions of a denuded stream bed after a substrate-moving spate. For this purpose gravel-filled wire baskets were placed on the sediment surface of the Ilm river (Thuringia, Germany). Invertebrates colonized these structures very rapidly. The results indicate that resilience of the stream benthos after physical disturbances, such as spates is high. Colonization patterns of numerous taxa differed significantly between summer and winter exposures. Seasonally varying colonization rates indicate that the disturbance response of taxa varies throughout the year and throughout the life cycle of lotic invertebrates. If these changes are correlated with seasonal discharge dynamics, they can be interpreted as an adjustment to the disturbance regime. Findings are discussed in regard to the practicability of small-scale experiments for the investigation of disturbance phenomena in streams.     

Fatty acid profiles of benthic environment associated with artificial reefs in subtropical Hong Kong

Artificial reefs can enhance habitat heterogeneity, especially in seabed degraded by bottom-dredging and trawling. However, the trophodynamics of such reef systems are not well understood. This study provided baseline data on trophic relationships in the benthic environment associated with artificial reefs in late spring and mid summer of subtropical Hong Kong, using fatty acid profiles as an indicator. Data from sediments collected at the reef base, materials from sediment traps deployed on top and bottom of the reefs, total particulate matter from the water column and oyster tissues from reef surface were subjected to principal component analysis. Results showed variations of fatty acid profiles in the total particulate matter, upper sediment trap and oyster tissue samples collected in the two samplings, indicating seasonal, trophodynamic changes within the reef system. The wastes produced by fish aggregating at the reefs can also contribute a source of biodeposits to the nearby benthic environment.     

Relationship between bed shear stress and suspended sediment concentration:annular flume experiments

In this study,annular flume experiments were carried out,using the sediment samples collected from the lower part of the inter-tidal zone at Xiaoyangkou,Jiangsu coast,China.The Ariathurai-Partheniades equation was used to determine the bed shear stress,by evaluating variations in the suspended sediment concentration within the water column.The derived relation between the bed shear stress and suspended sediment concentration shows that,at various stages of seabed erosion, suspended sediment concentration increases rapidly when the flow velocity is increased,but the pattern of change in the bed shear stress does not follow suit.At low concentrations,bed shear stress initially increases markedly with increasing flow velocity.However,when the concentration reaches an apparently critical level around 0.55 kg m"3,the rate of change in the bed shear stress abruptly slows down,or becomes almost constant,in response to further increases in the flow velocity.Results of experiments indicate that,from a critical level onward,suspended sediment concentration has a strong influence on the bed shear stress.     

Model of particulate organic carbon transport in an agriculturally impacted stream

The present contribution focuses on modeling the total particulate organic carbon (POC) and benthic POC transport from a lowland stream impacted by agricultural land‐use. A mass balance, reach scale model is verified that accounts for water, sediment and POC transport, sediment and POC temporary storage and exchange with the streambed, and production and degradation of carbon pools in the benthos. We found that the POC load is highly variable during individual hydrologic events and is influenced by transport of mixed carbon sources including upland, streambank and benthic POC sources. Benthic POC stocks and transport were found to vary seasonally and annually but are in a state of long‐term equilibrium. Equilibrium is governed by negative feedback mechanisms whereby high POC export due to extreme hydrologic events and high‐frequency hydrologic events reduces benthic POC stocks and inhibits benthic POC growth. Benthic POC accounted for 4 tC y^?1 or 22% of the total annual POC loading in the stream's main stem and 8.9 tC y^?1 or 48% of the POC yield for the entire watershed. These results suggest that further attention should be given to benthic‐derived POC when budgeting stream ecosystem carbon for low‐order stream systems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zoogeomorphological behaviours in fish and the potential impact of benthic feeding on bed material mobility in fluvial landscapes

Foraging by benthivorous fish can affect bed material mobility and sediment flux. This paper collates evidence of benthic feeding effects at local scales and evaluates the possibility that large numbers of foraging fish, each of which accomplishes a small amount of geomorphic work when feeding, may have a cumulative effect across river systems. A first synthesis of research from several disciplines provides a deeper understanding of how fish disturb and condition bed materials with implications for sediment mobility. To evaluate the spatial extent of benthic feeding and therefore the potential for it to have a large-scale effect, the distribution of benthivorous fish is established across a large river network. After quality control, the dataset yields a comprehensive set of fish community information based on over 61 000 individuals and 30 species at 176 sites. The factors that are likely to mediate foraging and its geomorphological effectiveness are considered. A novel scoring system that incorporates three key controls (fish feeding behaviour, fish abundance and fish body size) is then applied across the river network to predict where geomorphologically effective benthic feeding is feasible and its possible relative magnitude. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that the potential for zoogeomorphic impacts is widespread but variable in space as a function of community composition and the abundance of key benthivores. An initial calibration against measured field impacts suggests that benthic feeding may cause measurable geomorphological disturbance at more than 90% of sites in this large network. Together, previous work and this unique analysis suggest that benthic feeding is sufficiently effective and extensive to warrant additional research. Investigating the role of benthivorous fish in fluvial geomorphology is important because it may yield results that challenge the assumption that biota are irrelevant sources of energy in geomorphological systems. Key research questions and a roadmap to facilitate progress are identified. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling the impact of climate change on sediment transport and morphology in coupled watershed-coast systems:A case study using an integrated approach

Climate change is an issue of major concern nowadays.Its impact on the natural and human environment is studied intensively,as the expected shift in climate will be significant in the next few decades.Recent experience shows that the effects will be critical in coastal areas,resulting in erosion and inundation phenomena worldwide.In addition to that,coastal areas are subject to ＂pressures＂ from upstream watersheds in terms of water quality and sediment transport.The present paper studies the impact of climate change on sediment transport and morphology in the aforementioned coupled system.The study regards a sandy coast and its upstream watershed in Chalkidiki,North Greece;it is based on：（a）an integrated approach for the quantitative correlation of the two through numerical modeling,developed by the authors,and（b）a calibrated application of the relevant models Soil and Water Assessment Tool（SWAT）and PELNCON-M,applied to the watershed and the coastal zone,respectively.The examined climate change scenarios focus on a shift of the rainfall distribution towards fewer and more extreme rainfall events,and an increased frequency of occurrence of extreme wave events.Results indicate the significance of climatic pressures in wide-scale sediment dynamics,and are deemed to provide a useful perspective for researchers and policy planners involved in the study of coastal morphology evolution in a changing climate.     

Sediment erodability in sediment transport modelling: Can we account for biota effects?

Sediment erosion results from hydrodynamic forcing, represented by the bottom shear stress (BSS), and from the erodability of the sediment, defined by the critical erosion shear stress and the erosion rate. Abundant literature has dealt with the effects of biological components on sediment erodability and concluded that sediment processes are highly sensitive to the biota. However, very few sediment transport models account for these effects. We provide some background on the computation of BSS, and on the classical erosion laws for fine sand and mud, followed by a brief review of biota effects with the aim of quantifying the latter into generic formulations, where applicable.     

Sediment dispersal and deposition due to sand mining in the coastal waters of Korea

Understanding the impact of marine sand mining operations in a complex coastal environment requires a combined observational and modeling approach. Here, we use field measurements collected during mining operations in Kyunggi Bay, Korea to develop sediment parameters and source conditions for a three-dimensional (3D) sediment transport model built on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). The model is run with realistic forcing obtained from a 9 km meteorological model, tides, and river discharges. The resulting vertical and horizontal distributions of sediment show encouraging agreement with the field data, demonstrating markedly different dispersal patterns due largely to the differential settling of the various sand classes. The resulting depositional patterns suggest that only the coarser size classes (500 and 250 μm) particles remain close to the mined site, while finer size classes are widely dispersed. These results suggest that this new methodology of multi-size class, 3D sediment transport modeling is quite promising, and further work is ongoing to include more realistic representation of sediment resuspension processes.