Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 152-159 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Marine pollution bulletin |
| Volume | 134 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Shore nourishment is considered an effective soft coastal protection measure for sandy shorelines. However, sand demand and costs are high, especially as nourishment has to be repeated regularly due to ongoing erosion. Seagrass meadows are able to trap and stabilise sediment by reducing bed shear stress. Moreover, they reduce flow velocity and wave energy in regions beyond their boundaries. Especially small species may not provide these ecosystem services sufficiently to protect shorelines from erosion, but they may stabilise beach profiles enough to increase nourishment intervals. This review discusses the potential benefits of integrating ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows, both existing and newly planted, in nourishment plans, and also addresses potential limitations such as unsuitable hydrodynamic conditions and seasonality. Finally, it highlights knowledge gaps that should be addressed by interdisciplinary research to improve nourishment plans and use seagrass ecosystem services to their full potential.
Keywords
- Beach profile, Ecosystem services, Seagrass, Sediment stabilisation, Shore nourishment, Soft coastal protection
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Oceanography
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Aquatic Science
- Environmental Science(all)
- Pollution
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In: Marine pollution bulletin, Vol. 134, 09.2018, p. 152-159.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The protection of sandy shores – Can we afford to ignore the contribution of seagrass?
AU - Paul, Maike
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/9
Y1 - 2018/9
N2 - Shore nourishment is considered an effective soft coastal protection measure for sandy shorelines. However, sand demand and costs are high, especially as nourishment has to be repeated regularly due to ongoing erosion. Seagrass meadows are able to trap and stabilise sediment by reducing bed shear stress. Moreover, they reduce flow velocity and wave energy in regions beyond their boundaries. Especially small species may not provide these ecosystem services sufficiently to protect shorelines from erosion, but they may stabilise beach profiles enough to increase nourishment intervals. This review discusses the potential benefits of integrating ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows, both existing and newly planted, in nourishment plans, and also addresses potential limitations such as unsuitable hydrodynamic conditions and seasonality. Finally, it highlights knowledge gaps that should be addressed by interdisciplinary research to improve nourishment plans and use seagrass ecosystem services to their full potential.
AB - Shore nourishment is considered an effective soft coastal protection measure for sandy shorelines. However, sand demand and costs are high, especially as nourishment has to be repeated regularly due to ongoing erosion. Seagrass meadows are able to trap and stabilise sediment by reducing bed shear stress. Moreover, they reduce flow velocity and wave energy in regions beyond their boundaries. Especially small species may not provide these ecosystem services sufficiently to protect shorelines from erosion, but they may stabilise beach profiles enough to increase nourishment intervals. This review discusses the potential benefits of integrating ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows, both existing and newly planted, in nourishment plans, and also addresses potential limitations such as unsuitable hydrodynamic conditions and seasonality. Finally, it highlights knowledge gaps that should be addressed by interdisciplinary research to improve nourishment plans and use seagrass ecosystem services to their full potential.
KW - Beach profile
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Seagrass
KW - Sediment stabilisation
KW - Shore nourishment
KW - Soft coastal protection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85027418354&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.012
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.012
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85027418354
VL - 134
SP - 152
EP - 159
JO - Marine pollution bulletin
JF - Marine pollution bulletin
SN - 0025-326X
ER -