Floc size and settling velocity within a Spartina anglica canopy

There is increasing interest in tidal wetlands as mechanisms for sustainable and long-term coastal defence. The complexities of the interaction between the deposition of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and submerged vegetation, however, is to a large extent poorly understood. Consequently, accurate parameterisation of cohesive sediment settling fluxes in these environments is a crucial requirement for the development of high-resolution numerical models of wetland morphodynamics. A novel laboratory experiment is described in which the turbulent flow structure within a canopy of the halophytic macrophyte Spartina anglica is examined, and floc characteristics quantified using a unique floc camera configuration able to measure directly the full spectral floc size (D) and settling velocity (W_s). We provide the first quantitative observations of floc characteristics from shallow (h<0.5 m), vegetated flows and investigate the potential influence that variations in vegetative density may have on flocculation, and thus depositional fluxes, in comparison to unvegetated flows.