Project Details
Description
Sediments are important sites for nutrient regeneration, primary production and
mineralization and play an essential role for coastal ecosystem function. Most
studies have, however, targeted “normal” conditions. We argue that extreme events like storms, storm surges and floods inducing sediment resuspension have important impacts that largely have been ignored when assessing coastal
biogeochemical functioning. Sediment resuspension leads to the release of
accumulated solutes, oxidation and re-deposition of material, but the implication remains largely overlooked. The knowledge gab is due to challenges associated to field investigations during rough conditions and the fact that effects cannot be assessed by traditional approaches or in the laboratory. By novel field technology integrated in small observatories, this cross-disciplinary project will – for the first time - non-invasively explore and quantify the importance of sediment resuspension for coastal biogeochemical function.
mineralization and play an essential role for coastal ecosystem function. Most
studies have, however, targeted “normal” conditions. We argue that extreme events like storms, storm surges and floods inducing sediment resuspension have important impacts that largely have been ignored when assessing coastal
biogeochemical functioning. Sediment resuspension leads to the release of
accumulated solutes, oxidation and re-deposition of material, but the implication remains largely overlooked. The knowledge gab is due to challenges associated to field investigations during rough conditions and the fact that effects cannot be assessed by traditional approaches or in the laboratory. By novel field technology integrated in small observatories, this cross-disciplinary project will – for the first time - non-invasively explore and quantify the importance of sediment resuspension for coastal biogeochemical function.
Layman's description
Havbunden spiller en vigtig rolle for omsætningen af organisk materiale og dermed for den biologiske produktion i kystnære havområder. Vores viden om disse processer og re-genereringen af nærringstoffer fokuserer dog på ”normale forhold” i kystzonen. Betydningen af usædvanlige forhold under storme, oversvømmelser og ekstreme tidevands situationer er stort set ukendte. Under sådanne forhold resuspenderer de øverste lag af havbunden, og dette kan have vidtrækkende og langvarige konsekvenser for de biogeokemiske processer i kystzonen – en betydning der er meget dårligt kvantificeret eller forstået. Dette skyldes helt enkelt at det er meget vanskeligt at fortage undersøgelser under sådanne situationer og at forholdene ikke lader sig reproducere i laboratoriet. Med dette tværfaglige, feltorienterede projekt vil vi anvende ny-udviklede instrumenter til at undersøge betydningen af sediment resuspension. Kombineret med fokuserede laboratorie studier vil små avancerede observatorier placeret på havbunden for første gang gøre det muligt direkte at kvantificere betydningen af naturlig sediment resuspension for den biogeokemiske funktion af kystzonen. Betydningen af resuspension i kystzonen kan kun forventes at øges i de kommende år, hvor klima forandringer forventes at skabe flere ekstreme vejr forhold med storme og oversvømmelser.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 01/01/2018 → 31/12/2021 |