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Wagner M, Benac Č, Pamić M, Bračun S, Ladner M, Plakolm PC, Koblmüller S, Svardal H, Brandl SJ. Microhabitat partitioning between sympatric intertidal fish species highlights the importance of sediment composition in gravel beach conservation. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10302. [PMID: 37441098 PMCID: PMC10333672 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Gravel beaches in the Mediterranean ecoregion represent an economically important and unique habitat type. Yet, burgeoning tourism, intensive coastal development and artificial nourishment of beaches may jeopardize their ecological communities. To date, species that reside on gravel beaches and the consequences of beach alterations are poorly understood, which hampers the development of a sustainable coastal tourism industry along the region's shorelines. Using a simple collection method based on dredging buckets through the intertidal section of beaches, we quantified the microhabitat association of two sympatric clingfish species in the genus Gouania at seven natural and an artificial gravel beach based on sediment characteristics. We hypothesized that slender (G. pigra) and stout (G. adriatica) morphotypes would partition interstitial niche space based on sediment size, which may affect the vulnerability of the species to changes in gravel beach composition due to coastal development. We detected substantial differences in gravel composition within and among the sampled beaches which suggests scope for microhabitat partitioning in Gouania. Indeed, we found significant relationships between species identity and the presence/absence and abundance of individuals in hauls based on their positioning on PC1. Our results suggest that modifications of gravel beaches through coastal development, including beach nourishment, intensifying coastal erosion, or artificial beach creation, may have detrimental consequences for the two species if sediment types or sizes are altered. We posit that, given the simplicity and efficacy of our sampling method and the sensitivity of Gouania species to prevailing gravel composition, the genus could serve as an important indicator for gravel beach management in the Mediterranean ecoregion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Wagner
- Institute of BiologyUniversity of GrazGrazAustria
- Department of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Čedomir Benac
- Faculty of Civil EngineeringUniversity of RijekaRijekaCroatia
| | - Maja Pamić
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of ZagrebZagrebCroatia
- Public Institution KamenjakPremanturaCroatia
| | | | | | | | | | - Hannes Svardal
- Department of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Simon J. Brandl
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science InstituteThe University of Texas at AustinPort AransasTexasUSA
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2
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Paris P, Leach A, Corbett DR. Potential long-term disturbance associated with beach nourishment - insights and observations from Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Outer Banks, North Carolina. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12816. [PMID: 36685368 PMCID: PMC9853367 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The longer-term ecosystem impacts associated with a beach nourishment project conducted in 2014 were studied on an ocean beach on the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on North Carolina's Outer Banks. The unique nature of the project is tied to the study's duration, which spans nine years, and the venue, a national wildlife refuge where human-sourced confounding effects are minimal. Populations for five invertebrates: Emerita talpoida (the Atlantic Mole Crab), Donax variabilis (the Coquina Clam), Scolelepis squamata, Ocypode quadrata (the Atlantic Ghost Crab), and indigenous Amphipods were monitored seasonally over nine-years that asymmetrically straddled the 2014 nourishment event. Beach sediments were also monitored in concert with the biodata. Results show that the 2014 nourishment fill sands were finer than those native to the study area beach, however, reworking quickly brought the fill sands on the nourished beach into size parity with native sediments observed on a predefined control site. Findings from this investigation fail to present evidence to suggest that any type of ephemeral species die-off occurred in association with the 2014 nourishment event. While die-offs are commonplace reported, such outcomes are not inevitable. Other investigators have documented ecosystem resilience against significant disturbances such as beach nourishment-this study appears to corroborate such findings, both at the system and species levels. Many argue that nourishment fill sand characteristics: their fit to the native sediment in terms of size and composition, and their application during construction, are the principal determinants driving the disturbance response and subsequent post-nourishment recovery. This study corroborates this fill-sand/recovery relationship but provides evidence to support a causation argument only circumstantially.
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Saengsupavanich C, Ariffin EH, Yun LS, Pereira DA. Environmental impact of submerged and emerged breakwaters. Heliyon 2022; 8:e12626. [PMID: 36619456 PMCID: PMC9813723 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastlines are constantly threatened by erosion. Effective coastal defense structures with the least environmental impacts are increasingly required. Submerged and emerged breakwaters have been implemented globally, while positively or negatively creating impacts on the environment. One of the most significant concerns in applying breakwaters is how to minimize their undesirable consequences on the environment. Thus, a thorough understanding of how submerged and emerged breakwaters affect the surrounding environment must be achieved. This article critically reviews and summarizes their environmental impacts on beach morphology, hydrodynamics, ecology, tourism, and recreation, as well as other notable impacts. This is a review article that may help coastal practitioners to manage coastal erosion with breakwaters more sustainably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherdvong Saengsupavanich
- Faculty of International Maritime Studies, Kasetsart University, Sri Racha Campus, 199 Moo 6 Sukhumvit Rd., Tungsukla, Sri Racha, Chonburi, 20230, Thailand
- Corresponding author.
| | - Effi Helmy Ariffin
- Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Lee Shin Yun
- Faculty of International Maritime Studies, Kasetsart University, Sri Racha Campus, 199 Moo 6 Sukhumvit Rd., Tungsukla, Sri Racha, Chonburi, 20230, Thailand
- Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Dunstan Anthony Pereira
- Coastal Management & Oceanography Research Centre, National Water Research Institute of Malaysia, Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, 43300, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
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Cantasano N, Boccalaro F, Ietto F. Assessing of detached breakwaters and beach nourishment environmental impacts in Italy: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 195:127. [PMID: 36401663 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10666-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Coastal regions are exposed to natural phenomena such as sea waves, sea level rise, climate change, and flooding events. These factors, along with human pressures, lead to an increase in coastal erosion. In response, hard engineering measures were realized as breakwaters and groins, to oppose erosion processes along the sandy beaches of the Italian coastline. These types of defense systems showed negative impacts on landscapes, ecosystems, and expected results. Additionally, the use of coastal revetments, submerged sandbars, soil bioengineering, and beach nourishment projects were used to defend seaboard areas from the risk of a growing shore withdrawal. Among these soft solutions, beach nourishment is becoming an environmentally friendly method to control shoreline erosion, increasing the width of sandy beaches to guarantee a better tourist use of coastal regions and to add a greater buffer between the shoreline and existing infrastructure. In recent times, nourishment projects have been combined with other protective measures, such as submerged sandbars and underwater detached breakwaters, limiting the loss of sediments from sandy beaches and allowing better protection from stormy events. These mixed solutions ensure effective coastal protection by maintaining the width of sandy beaches for tourist use, guaranteeing the environmental safeguard of the coastal ecosystems. In order to achieve the best result with these types of projects, a close collaboration between coastal engineers, geologists, biologists, and policymakers toward integrated coastal zone management is necessary. The study described in this paper has taken the form of a literature review regarding both the negative environmental impacts and the benefits associated with the use of old and new coastal defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Cantasano
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean, Via Cavour 4-6-87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
| | | | - Fabio Ietto
- Fabio Ietto, University of Calabria, Department of Biological, Ecological and Earth Sciences, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
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Sahavacharin A, Sompongchaiyakul P, Thaitakoo D. The effects of land-based change on coastal ecosystems. LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11355-022-00505-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Danovaro R, Nepote E, Martire ML, Carugati L, Da Ros Z, Torsani F, Dell'Anno A, Corinaldesi C. Multiple declines and recoveries of Adriatic seagrass meadows over forty years of investigation. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 161:111804. [PMID: 33128987 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigated the long-term changes (from 1973 to 2013) of the seagrass meadows of Zostera marina, Zostera noltei and Cymodocea nodosa in the Adriatic Sea subjected to multiple pressures. We examined the changes of the meadows by means of field data collection, observations and analysis of aerial photography to identify the most important drivers of habitat loss. The major decline of seagrass extension observed from 1973 to 1989, was primarily driven by urban development, and by the increase of the blue tourism. From 1989 to 2007 seagrass habitats progressively recovered due to the decrease of urbanization, but from 2007 to 2013 a further significant loss of seagrass meadows was apparently driven by thermal anomalies coupled with an increasing anthropogenic pressure. Our long-term analysis provides evidence that the rates of seagrass loss are faster than the recovery rates (i.e., -4.5 loss rate vs +2.5% recovery rate per year).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy.
| | - Ettore Nepote
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Marco Lo Martire
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Carugati
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Zaira Da Ros
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Torsani
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Antonio Dell'Anno
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Department of Sciences and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urbanistics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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Hannides A, Elko N, Humiston K. The state of understanding of the effects of beach nourishment activities on coastal biogeochemical processes and conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.34237/1008734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Sandy beaches are sites of significant exchange of matter and energy between water and sediment. This rapid exchange is attributed to the high permeability of sandy deposits and is one of the key ingredients in understanding how a given beach will respond to a nourishment event as a habitat for many important organisms. The response is driven by fundamental abiotically and biotically mediated chemical reactions that are profoundly affected by the ability of chemicals to accumulate or to be flushed out of a sandy column in the beach substrate. So while attention has correctly been paid to the effects of nourishment projects on infaunal communities and the upper levels of the food web, the chemical reactions connecting physics and geology on the one hand and ecology on the other are treated as a black box. We synthesize existing findings on biogeochemical processes at source areas and renourished beaches before, during, and after nourishment activities, and identify gaps in knowledge. Among other processes, we highlight how the exposure of reduced sediment to an oxic water column can initially increase oxygen demand, fuel microbial primary productivity, and drive the mobilization of potentially harmful contaminants. Restoration of oxic conditions in surficial sands can proceed rapidly through rapid exchange between sand and the oxygenated water column under the influence of physical forces, such as waves and currents, and high sand permeability. Based on our findings, we recommend foci for research, outreach, and broader impacts in this field as well as discuss coastal management needs for policy makers, planners, contractors, and the public to encourage information sharing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole Elko
- American Shore & Beach Preservation Association
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8
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Todd PA, Heery EC, Loke LHL, Thurstan RH, Kotze DJ, Swan C. Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Todd
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Eliza C. Heery
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Lynette H. L. Loke
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Ruth H. Thurstan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - D. Johan Kotze
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Univ. of Helsinki Lahti Finland
| | - Christopher Swan
- Dept of Geography & Environmental Systems, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD USA
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9
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Targusi M, La Porta B, Lattanzi L, La Valle P, Loia M, Paganelli D, Pazzini A, Proietti R, Nicoletti L. Beach nourishment using sediments from relict sand deposit: Effects on subtidal macrobenthic communities in the Central Adriatic Sea (Eastern Mediterranean Sea-Italy). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 144:186-193. [PMID: 30683558 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays nourishment is the most popular shore reconstruction strategy to counteract erosion of coastal areas. Sediments used for nourishment can have terrestrial or marine origin. This study analysed the effects of nourishment with relict sand on the subtidal macrobenthic communities and on the surface sediment at 7 sites of the Marche Region (Central Adriatic Sea, Italy). Samples for biological and physical analyses were collected in each site before and after nourishment. One year after nourishment the presence of the relict sands used for the replenishment is still visible in the sediment of each site. In the same period macrobenthic communities are characterised by the dominance of a few species able to avoid burial and suffocation phenomena, showing a low variability respect to the communities present before.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Targusi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - B La Porta
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - L Lattanzi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Rome, Italy.
| | - P La Valle
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - M Loia
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - D Paganelli
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - A Pazzini
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - R Proietti
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - L Nicoletti
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144, Rome, Italy.
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Danovaro R, Nepote E, Martire ML, Ciotti C, De Grandis G, Corinaldesi C, Carugati L, Cerrano C, Pica D, Di Camillo CG, Dell'Anno A. Limited impact of beach nourishment on macrofaunal recruitment/settlement in a site of community interest in coastal area of the Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 128:259-266. [PMID: 29571372 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Beach nourishment is a widely utilized solution to counteract the erosion of shorelines, and there is an active discussion on its possible consequences on coastal marine assemblages. We investigated the impact caused by a small-scale beach nourishment carried out in the Western Adriatic Sea on macrofaunal recruitment and post-settlement events. Artificial substrates were deployed in proximity of nourished and non-manipulated beaches and turbidity and sedimentation rates were measured. Our results indicate that sedimentation rates in the impacted site showed a different temporal change compared to the control sites, suggesting potential modifications due to the beach nourishment. The impact site was characterized by subtle changes in terms of polychaete abundance and community structure when compared to controls, possibly due to beach nourishment, although the role of other factors cannot be ruled out. We conclude that small-scale beach nourishments appear to be an eco-sustainable approach to contrast coastal erosion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Danovaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy.
| | - Ettore Nepote
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Marco Lo Martire
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Claudia Ciotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Gianluca De Grandis
- Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale delle Marche, Dipartimento di Ancona, Via Cristoforo Colombo 106, Ancona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Ingegneria della Materia, dell'Ambiente ed Urbanistica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Laura Carugati
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Carlo Cerrano
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Daniela Pica
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Cristina Gioia Di Camillo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Antonio Dell'Anno
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
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Jordan LKB, Banks KW, Fisher LE, Walker BK, Gilliam DS. Elevated sedimentation on coral reefs adjacent to a beach nourishment project. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2010; 60:261-271. [PMID: 19837439 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2009] [Revised: 08/05/2009] [Accepted: 08/17/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
An increasingly common method to restore eroding beaches is nourishment, a process by which lost sand is replaced with terrestrial or offshore sediments to widen beaches. The southeastern Florida coastline contains shore-parallel coral reef communities adjacent to eroding beaches. Scleractinian corals and other reef-associated organisms are known to demonstrate sensitivity to elevated sedimentation levels. Sediment traps were used to examine spatio-temporal sedimentation patterns and assess the effects of nourishment (dredge and fill) activities. Several environmental variables correlated with among-site spatial variability of sediment parameters. Intra-annual variability correlated with wind velocity and direction. Nourishment activities showed localized effects, with sites in close proximity to dredging areas exhibiting significantly higher collection rates and lower percent fines than control sites. A regional increase in sedimentation occurred while nourishment activities were ongoing. Due to concurrent impacts of hurricanes, only one during-construction sampling interval revealed substantially higher collection rates relative to corresponding pre-construction sampling intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- L K B Jordan
- Nova Southeastern University, Oceanographic Center, National Coral Reef Institute, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33304, USA
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González-Correa JM, Fernández-Torquemada Y, Sánchez-Lizaso JL. Short-term effect of beach replenishment on a shallow Posidonia oceanica meadow. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2009; 68:143-150. [PMID: 19552949 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2009.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2009] [Revised: 05/28/2009] [Accepted: 06/01/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Putative perturbations on a Posidonia oceanica meadow produced by recent artificial beach nourishment were evaluated in relation to four undisturbed meadows. Temporal variations of putative impacted location vs. control locations of environmental (light availability and sediment features), plant (associated epiphytes, silt-clay fraction attached to epiphytes, herbivore attack, non-structural carbohydrate reserves) and structural parameters (cover and density) of meadows were tested by asymmetrical analysis of variance beyond BACI (Before/After, Control/Impact). Additionally, two asymmetrical analyses of variance were used to test for differences in vegetative growth of horizontal rhizomes (leaf production, horizontal rhizome growth, biomass production and net secondary rhizome recruitment) before and after beach replenishment. Environmental effects induced by dumping works were only detected in connection with a higher silt-clay deposition rate. This increase was consistent with the increase of silt-clay cover attached to epiphytes. As a consequence of silt-clay smothering, a decrease of filter feeding epiphytes, starch reserves, shoot surface and shoot biomass was observed. The sensitivity of plants to sediment inputs, leads us to recommend avoidance of dumping or sediment movement in the vicinity of P. oceanica meadows.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M González-Correa
- Centro de Investigación Marina de Santa Pola, CIMAR, Ayto. de Santa Pola y Univ. de Alicante. Torre d'Enmig s/n, Cabo de Santa Pola, Alicante, Spain.
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