3.1.2 Sediment transport processes – A Review

Description

In this review we summarise the current state of knowledge and gaps in the various components required to predict sediment transport within coral reef and vegetated coastal ecosystems. Although many knowledge gaps still remain, we review the existing framework for predicting canopy flows and how this can serve as a foundation for developing new sediment transport models. Specifically we review:

• The hydrodynamic interactions of currents and waves with submerged canopies, including the influence on bed stresses;
• The traditional approaches and models used to predict near-bed sediment transport in the coastal ocean;
• Existing observations of sediment transport within aquatic vegetation and over coral reefs;
• Measurement techniques for quantifying and monitoring near-bed sediment fluxes; and
• Prospects for upscaling these dynamics with numerical models to improve predictions of the transport and fate of natural and dredging-derived sediments in these environments.

Aims

To develop a mechanistic understanding of the transport and fate of dredging-derived sediments in coastal systems.