4.4 Monitoring of sediment deposition

This study describes the design, calibration, laboratory testing, and then subsequent field deployment of an in situ optical backscatter (OBS) sediment deposition sensor capable of measuring sediment deposition rates over intervals of a few hours. The field deployments shows previously undescribed sub-daily patterns of sediment deposition, providing new insights into both relative patterns and absolute values on a reef (within the inner shelf coastal turbid zone of the central Great Barrier Reef).

Aims

To describe the design, calibration, laboratory testing, and then subsequent field deployment of an in situ optical backscatter (OBS) sediment deposition sensor capable of measuring sediment deposition rates over intervals of a few hours.