Biogeomorphology of the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows

Here we review the multiple interactions between the endemic Mediterranean seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, and coastal geomorphologic processes as an outstanding example of biogeomorphology, taking into account recent advances in the field. Seagrass meadows are among the most important elements for the functioning of marine coastal ecosystems, and represent a major focus for research and conservation. Being considered a priority habitat, P. oceanica meadows are protected by several European Union directives and national laws. In this paper we examine: the role of sedimentary features in controlling the development of the meadows; the interplay between P. oceanica leaf litter (i.e. beached necromass) cast ashore and erosional‐depositional processes on the beaches; the interactions between meadows and nearshore hydrodynamics, and; possible linkages between geomorphological features of the seafloor and the architecture of meadows. Finally, we provide perspectives for future research on P. oceanica and other Mediterranean seagrass meadows in a biogeomorphological context with specific reference to climate change. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Global distribution of coastal cliffs

Previous studies have estimated that coastal cliffs exist on about 80% of the global shoreline, but have not been validated on a global scale. This study uses two approaches to capture information on the worldwide existence and erosion of coastal cliffs: a detailed literature survey and imagery search, and a GIS-based global mapping analysis. The literature and imagery review show coastal cliffs exist in 93% of the combined recognized independent coastal states and non-independent coastal regions worldwide (total of 213 geographic units). Additionally, cliff retreat rates have been quantified in at least one location within 33% of independent coastal states and 15% of non-independent regions. The GIS-based mapping used the near-global Shuttle Radar Topography Mission 3 arc second digital elevation model and Arctic Coastal Dynamics Database to obtain near-global backshore coastal elevations at 1 km alongshore intervals comprising about 1,340,000 locations (81% of the world vector shoreline). Backshore coastal elevations were compared with the mapped distribution of European coastal cliffs to produce a model training set, and this relationship was extended globally to map the likelihood of coastal cliff locations. About 21% of the transects (17% of the world vector shoreline) were identified as mangroves and eliminated as potential cliff locations. The results were combined with estimates of cliff percentages for Greenland and Antarctica from the literature, extending the global coverage to estimate cliff occurrence across 89% of the world vector shoreline. The results suggest coastal cliffs likely exist on about 52% of the global shoreline. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Decadal behaviour of a washover fan,Skallingen Denmark

In this study, the decadal evolution of a washover fan on the west coast of Denmark is examined from its initial generation in 1990 until 2015. Since its inception, the bare and flat washover fan surface has recovered and accreted slowly due to re-activation by overwash during surges and due to aeolian activity and dune formation, stimulated by vegetation growth. The volume of sand on the washover has increased steadily at an average rate of about 23 m³/yr per unit length of shoreline, and a total of 175,000 m³ of sand is now deposited on the fan, while at the same time the shoreline has receded by some 250 m. The evolution can be divided into three stages: 1) An initiation phase when storm surge levels and energetic wave conditions caused a breach in the foredunes and overwash processes formed a washover fan with a relatively low elevation above mean sea level; 2) An initial recovery phase during which waves supplied sand to the fan during frequent overwash activity and winds transported this sand into marginal dunes surrounding the fan; and 3) A later recovery phase when the surface of the fan had accreted to a level where vegetation could survive and trap sediment into new foredune growth across the fan. The rate of accretion has been overall linear but scales with neither annual overwash frequency, nor with aeolian transport potential. Instead, the linear accretion is more closely related to the steady onshore migration of nearshore bars that weld to the beach and provide a sand supply for transfer to the fan. The fan evolution demonstrates the importance of washover fans in preserving barrier resilience during transgressional phases caused by increasing mean sea level. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coastal geomorphic chronosequences across broad spatiotemporal scales. Metrical observations from the Cape Verde hotspot

The study of the coastal landscapes of hotspot oceanic islands through comprehensive structural metrics and ecological estimators represents an opportunity to explore geomorphological transformations and broad spatiotemporal scale features of coastal evolution. As part of this approach, a new metrical comparative analysis is presented in this study, comprising four islands in different evolutionary stages. They belong to the Cape Verde archipelago, which forms a double insular chain in which an east–west gradient in age and evolution is particularly evident across the southern chain. A space-for-time (SFT) substitution approach is applied to the coasts of (1) Fogo, in the shield stage; (2) Santiago, in the early post-erosional stage; (3) São Vicente, in the advanced post-erosional stage; and (4) Boa Vista, in the last erosional stage. From the obtained spatial distributions and frequencies of landforms, the coastal landscapes of these islands are compared in relation to their (i) geomorphic composition, using similarity indices (Whittaker, β_w, Sorensen, C_s) and nestedness estimators (NOFD, WNODF), (ii) geomorphic abundance, using morpho-assembling densities (D_gm), and (iii) geomorphic diversity, using six alpha-diversity indices (Richness, S, Menhinick, D_MN, Simpson, D, Shannon, H', Berger-Parker, d, and Brillouin, HB). An advanced geomorphological taxonomy is implemented for areas with limited open-access data, including a set of planform features captured through scale-frequency decomposition. Photographic, cartographic and fieldwork data are used for landform identification at 1200 random sampling points, empirically determined by a bootstrap method. The results show a chronological ordering of the compared variables and a possible co-evolution towards an increase in organizational geomorphic complexity of coastal systems at broad space-timescales. The method proposed in this study can contribute, from a metrical perspective, to finding new long-term evolutionary features and constitutes an advance in the development of an integrated model of coastal evolution in oceanic islands. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of coastal erosion on landslide activity revealed by multi-sensor observations

Coastal erosion is becoming an increasingly serious consequence of climate change. This study demonstrates the effects of coastal erosion on landslide activity while considering the amount of erosion and changes in pore water pressure. To determine the factors related to landslide slip generation, we specifically measured the displacement, deformation, pore water pressure, and amount of erosion with high temporal resolution (1 s–1 h) for a coastal landslide in Hokkaido, north-eastern Japan, for 7 months. It has been determined that landslides occur simultaneously with high pore water pressure. Toe erosion events also occurred several times, while the landslide exhibited major displacement. Because toe erosion and the increase in pore water pressure occurred simultaneously, we tried to determine which of the two contributed majorly to the landslide displacement by conducting a stability analysis that incorporates the effects of the two factors. From the actual observed data, toe erosion and the increase in pore water pressure had comparable effects on the destabilization of the studied landslide. Specifically, the time series for the safety factor shows that the landslide in the case with toe erosion was destabilized more than that in the case with no erosion, with a difference of more than 5% in the safety factor. The model with toe erosion provided a better explanation for the landslide displacement. Furthermore, the inclination data suggested that erosion took place at least 1 month before the landslide displacement. This implied that coastal erosion played a role in the preparation and ongoing displacement of the coastal landslide. Inland landslides with toes that are subject to undercutting due to river incision or artificial construction have geomorphological settings that are similar to those of the studied landslide. The knowledge obtained here can contribute to the understanding of destabilization mechanisms and terrain changes related to such landslides. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of offshore waves and vegetation on the sediment budget in the Virginia Coast Reserve (VA)

The potential for rapid coastline modification in the face of sea-level rise or other stressors is alarming, since coasts are often densely populated and support valuable infrastructure. In addition to coastal submergence, nutrient-related water pollution is a growing concern for coastal wetlands. Previous studies found that the Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC) of coastal wetlands acts as a first-order control of their sustainability, but SSC dynamics are poorly understood. Our study focuses on the Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, a shallow multiple tidal inlet system in the USA. We apply numerical modelling (Delft3D-SWAN) and subsequent analyses to determine SSC dynamics within the VCR. In particular, we consider two important controls on SSC in the system: vegetation (seagrass and salt marsh) and offshore waves. Our results show that vegetation colonies and increased wave energy lengthen water residence time. The reduction in the tidal prism decreases SSC export from the bay via tidal inlets, leading to increased sediment retention in the bay. We found that alongshore currents can enhance lagoon SSC by importing fine sediments from an adjacent inlet along the coastline. Our numerical experiments on vegetation seasonality can improve the understanding of wave climate impact on coastal bay sediment budget. Offshore waves increase sediment export from coastal bays, particularly during winter seasons with low vegetation density. Therefore, our study can help managers and stakeholders to understand how to implement restoration strategies for the VCR. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于DER-Wolfson指数的中国海洋经济极化研究

从人均海洋产值、海洋经济密度、海洋产业贡献度的层面出发,借助DER指数、Wolfson指数和信息扩散技术对中国沿海11省市1996~2015年间的海洋经济极化趋势与规律进行分析,并利用DER指数的认同-梳理框架解释导致极化的原因。研究发现：① 1996~2015年间,人均海洋产值、海洋经济密度、海洋产业贡献度的极化效应已经显现。② 海洋经济密度、海洋产业贡献度的DER指数和Wolfson指数都呈上升趋势;人均海洋产值的DER指数呈上升趋势,Wolfson指数呈下降趋势。③ 认同性和疏离性呈现相反的变化趋势,疏离性的变化是海洋经济极化的主要原因。由此提出促进中国沿海省域海洋经济协调、可持续发展的对策建议。     

全球海岸带多源土地利用/覆盖遥感分类产品一致性分析

多源土地利用/覆盖分类产品是陆地表层过程研究不可或缺的重要基础数据,而其一致性分析则是产品应用的前提和基础。本文基于类型面积偏差、类型面积相关、误差矩阵和类型空间混淆等方法,从面积一致性和空间一致性两方面分析了 5种土地利用/覆盖分类产品（MCD12Q1-2010、GlobCover2009、CCI-LC2010、FROM-GLC2010和GlobeLand30-2010）在全球海岸带区域的一致性。结果表明：① 各产品土地利用/覆盖类型的空间分布总体上表现出较强的一致性,但在细节上存在大面积不一致现象;② 各产品对全球海岸带土地利用/覆盖构成的描述基本一致,即以水体为主,林地和未利用地次之,耕地、草地和灌木地较少,湿地和人造地表相对最少,但在细节上存在面积偏差;③ 在产品组合中,MCD12Q1-2010/GlobCover2009的相关系数、总体精度和Kappa系数均最低,分别为0.8814、67.46%和0.5748,而GlobCover2009/CCI-LC2010的相关系数、总体精度和Kappa系数均最高,分别为0.9869、81.50%和0.7505;④ 5种产品两两对比,草地、灌木地和湿地的混淆程度最高,耕地和人造地表次之,林地和未利用地较低,水体最低;⑤ 全球海岸带有28.81%的土地具有较低的一致性,这些区域地类混淆现象较为严重,尤其是耕地、林地、草地、灌木地、湿地和未利用地之间的相互混淆对5种产品的一致性程度有直接影响。本文有望为海岸带研究在已有土地利用/覆盖数据源选择和使用等方面提供参考和建议。     

舟山近海环境DNA保存方法的建立及优化

近年来,环境DNA(environmentalDNA,eDNA)技术开始被广泛应用于水生生物多样性研究。本文通过绝对定量和高通量测序技术对舟山近海高浊度水样eDNA的保存方法进行了建立和优化。研究结果如下:(1)"酒精+低温"保存法的eDNA获得量是"酒精+常温"保存法的0.78—1.06 (7d)、0.89—1.80 (15d)、1.05—2.75 (30d)和2.69 (60d)倍;(2)酒精保存法(低温、常温)存在eDNA富集物渗漏及滤膜黏附现象;(3)短期内冷冻保存样品的eDNA获得量是酒精保存样品获得量的1.25—1.59倍(7d)和1.07—1.20倍(15d);(4)酒精保存法的eDNA降解速率慢于冷冻保存法,长期内酒精保存样品的eDNA获得量是冷冻保存样品获得量的1.99—2.10倍(30d)和2.84—7.64倍(60d);(5)二次富集(过滤)能显著提高eDNA获得量,富集组eDNA浓度是未富集组浓度的1.60—4.95倍("酒精+低温")和1.21—2.04倍("酒精+常温");(6)"酒精+低温"保存的样品在高通量测序总丰度、各鱼种分丰度、物种多样性指数等多个方面优于冷冻保存样品;(7)微生物(micro-organism)的eDNA降解速率慢于大生物(macro-organism),不同界(Kingdom)的eDNA最优保存方法可能并不相同。本研究首次建立了舟山近海高浊度水样eDNA最适保存方法,为相似水域的eDNA保存提供了借鉴参考。     

陆架海岸台风沉积记录及信息提取

长时间尺度风暴强度–频率关系与气候变化相关联,而器测记录和历史记载难以提供充分的信息,因此从沉积记录中提取风暴信息成为一个前沿科学问题。在应用上,这项研究可为海岸带城市群应对未来气候和海面变化提供决策依据。本文回顾了台风沉积记录研究进展,显示陆架泥质沉积、海滩及海岸沙丘、潮滩、潟湖、巨砾是台风事件记录的良好载体,可通过层序形态和物质特性分析而识别。同时,还需进一步完善分析方法,以区分台风、冬季风暴、河流洪水和海啸等不同类型的极端事件沉积。在台风强度信息提取方面,陆架泥质沉积所含贝壳–粗颗粒沉积物可作为海底再悬浮强度的指标,但需更多实测数据的率定;海滩及海岸沙丘顶部的台风沉积分布高程指示了台风激浪流的上冲高度,而台风巨砾的重量可以与近岸波浪的波高建立联系。以上数据经过换算后可以得出台风强度的信息,虽然这些间接的沉积学信息还不足以建立风暴强度–频率关系,但有助于台风强度大数据的建立。潮滩、潟湖沉积连续性好,可构成台风事件的时间序列,然而关于台风强度却是多解的,台风最大风力、持续时间、移动路径、登陆地点的不同组合可能产生同样的事件沉积。我们建议,应发展台风信息提取的新方法,来解决这个问题。进行现代过程模拟,根据已知的台风事件资料构建沉积物输运堆积模型,使之能够复演事件沉积的特征;进行多个地点事件沉积的反演模拟,在此情形下,即便每个站位的结果是多解的,但针对多个站位上求取其解的交集之后,多解性将下降,这种模拟方法可称之为“解空间收缩法”;采用大数据融合方式,将其他来源的台风强度数据纳入模拟体系,可进一步降低风暴信息提取的不确定性。动力过程模拟与大数据融合方法的建立,有助于获得与沉积记录同样时间尺度的台风强度–频率关系曲线,进而分析台风动态与气候变化的关系。