Sediment budget: principals and applications

The framework of sediment budget concepts provides a formalized procedure to account for the various components of sediment flux and the changes of volume that occur within a given region. Sediment budget methodology can be useful in a number of coastal engineering and research applications, including: inferring the amount of onshore sediment transport for a nearshore system that contains an "excess of sediment", determining sediment deficits to downdrift beaches as a result of engineering works at navigational entrances, evaluating the performance of a beach nourishment project, inferring the distribution of longshore sediment transport across the surf zone, etc. This chapter reviews briefly the governing equations for sediment budget calculations, considers various measurement and other bases for determining the sediment flux components necessary to apply the sediment budget concept and finally for illustration purposes, applies the sediment budget concept to several examples. (PDF contains 52 pages.)

Shoreline erosion due to extreme storms and sea level rise

A summary is presented of research conducted on beach erosion associated with extreme storms and sea level rise. These results were developed by the author and graduate students under sponsorship of the University of Delaware Sea Grant Program. Various shoreline response problems of engineering interest are examined. The basis for the approach is a monotonic equilibrium profile of the form h = Ax2 /3 in which h is water depth at a distance x from the shoreline and A is a scale parameter depending primarily on sediment characteristics and secondarily on wave characteristics. This form is shown to be consistent with uniform wave energy dissipation per unit volume. The dependency of A on sediment size is quantified through laboratory and field data. Quasi-static beach response is examined to represent the effect of sea level rise. Cases considered include natural and seawalled profiles. To represent response to storms of realistic durations, a model is proposed in which the offshore transport is proportional to the "excess" energy dissipation per unit volume. The single rate constant in this model was evaluated based on large scale wave tank tests and confirmed with Hurricane Eloise pre- and post-storm surveys. It is shown that most hurricanes only cause 10% to 25% of the erosion potential associated with the peak storm tide and wave conditions. Additional applications include profile response employing a fairly realistic breaking model in which longshore bars are formed and long-term (500 years) Monte Carlo simulation including the contributions due to sea level rise and random storm occurrences. (PDF has 67 pages.)

Some considerations on coastal processes relevant to sea level rise

The effects of potential sea level rise on the shoreline and shore environment have been briefly examined by considering the interactions between sea level rise and relevant coastal processes. These interactions have been reviewed beginning with a discussion of the need to reanalyze previous estimates of eustatic sea level rise and compaction effects in water level measurement. This is followed by considerations on sea level effects on coastal and estuarine tidal ranges, storm surge and water level response, and interaction with natural and constructed shoreline features. The desirability to reevaluate the well known Bruun Rule for estimating shoreline recession has been noted. The mechanics of ground and surface water intrusion with reference to sea level rise are then reviewed. This is followed by sedimentary processes in the estuaries including wetland response. Finally comments are included on some probable effects of sea level rise on coastal ecosystems. These interactions are complex and lead to shoreline evolution (under a sea level rise) which is highly site-specific. Models which determine shoreline change on the basis of inundation of terrestrial topography without considering relevant coastal processes are likely to lead to erroneous shoreline scenarios, particularly where the shoreline is composed of erodible sedimentary material. With some exceptions, present day knowledge of shoreline response to hydrodynamic forcing is inadequate for long-term quantitative predictions. A series of interrelated basic and applied research issues must be addressed in the coming decades to determine shoreline response to sea level change with an acceptable degree of confidence. (PDF contains 189 pages.)

Beach monitoring project Sand Key Phase II Beach nourishment program (North Redington Beach and Redington Shores) Post-Nourishment Report Part II Offshore Profiles and Wave Data

This study presents the third post-nourishment survey (January 1989) results for the Sand Key Phase II beach nourishment project carried out in June, 1988. The monitoring program to this beach nourishment project is a joint effort between the University of South Florida and University of Florida. The field surveys include a total of 26 profiles, encompassing approximately 3 miles of shoreline extending from DNR R-96 to R-1ll. The total calculated volume loss of sand in the nourished segment (from R-99G to R-107) between the July 88 and January 89 surveys is 51,113 cubic yards, which is a loss about 9.7 percent of 529,150 cubic yards actually placed in the nourishment project. The total loss of sand computed in the entire survey area is 26,796 cubic yards, which is only 5.1 percent of the sand placed in the nourishment project. It is stressed that a part of these net volume reductions is due to the background erosion and not due to spreading losses induced by the nourishment project. (PDF contains 168 pages.)

Florida's West Coast inlets: shoreline effects and recommended action

This report responds to the 1986 Beaches Bill which, in recognition of the potential deleterious impact on Florida's beaches of inlets modified for navigation, mandated a study of those inlets with identification of recommended action to reduce the impacts. This report addresses west Coast inlets; East Coast inlets are the subject of a companion report. There are 37 inlets along that portion of Florida's West Coast commencing from Pensacola Bay Entrance to Caxambas Pass at the south end of Marco Island. Compared to those on the East Coast, most West Coast inlets have not had the deleterious effects on the adjacent beaches, yet all modified inlets without proper management have the potential of impacting unfavorably on the adjacent shorelines. Moreover, at present there is interest in opening three West Coast entrances which either have been open in the past (Midnight Pass) or which have opened occasionally (Navarre Pass and Entrance to Phillips Lake). A review of inlets in their natural condition demonstrates the presence of a shallow broad outer bar across which the longshore transport Occurs. These shallow and shifting bar features were unsuitable for navigation which in many cases has led to the deepening of the channels and fixing with one or two jetty structures. Inlets in this modified state along with inappropriate maintenance practices have the potential of placing great ero$ional stress along the adjacent beaches. Moreover. channel dredging can reduce wave sheltering of the shoreline by ebb tidal shoals and alter the equilibrium of the affected shoreline segments. The ultimate in poor sand management practice is the placement of good quality beach sand in water depths too great for the sand to reenter the longshore system under natural forces; depths of 12 ft. or less are considered appropriate for Florida in order to maintain the sand in the system. With the interference of the nearshore sediment transport processes by inlets modified for navigation, if the adjacent beaches are to be stabilized there must be an active monitoring program with commitment to placement of dredged material of beach quality on shoreline segments of documented need. Several East Coast inlets have such transfer facilities; however. the quantities of sand transferred should be increased. Although an evolution and improvement in the technical capability to manage sand resources in the vicinity of inlets is expected, an adequate capability exists today and a concerted program should be made to commence a scheduled implementation of this capability at those entrances causing greatest erosional stress on the adjacent shorelines. A brief summary review for each of the 37 West Coast inlets is presented including: a scaled aerial photograph, brief historical information, several items related to sediment losses at each inlet and special characteristics relevant to State responsibilities. For each inlet, where appropriate, the above infor~tion is utilized to develop a recommenced action. (PDF has 101 pages.)

Effect of Cattail (Typha domingensis) Extracts, Leachates, and Selected Phenolic Compounds on Rates of Oxygen Production by Salvinia (Salvinia minima)

Salvinia (Salvinia minima Willd.) is a water fern found in Florida waters, usually associated with Lemna and other small free-floating species. Due to its buoyancy and mat-forming abilities, it is spread by moving waters. In 1994, salvinia was reported to be present in 247 water bodies in the state (out of 451 surveyed public waters, Schardt 1997). It is a small, rapidly growing species that can become a nuisance due to its explosive growth rates and its ability to shade underwater life (Oliver 1993). Any efforts toward management of salvinia populations must consider that, in reasonable amounts, its presence is desirable since it plays an important role in the overall ecosystem balance. New management alternatives need to be explored besides the conventional herbicide treatments; for example, it has been shown that the growth of S. molesta can be inhibited by extracts of the tropical weed parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) and its purified toxin parthenin (Pande 1994, 1996). We believe that cattail, Typha spp. may be a candidate for control of S. minima infestations. Cattail is an aggressive aquatic plant, and has the ability to expand over areas that weren't previously occupied by other species (Gallardo et al. 1998a and references cited there). In South Florida, T. domingensis is a natural component of the Everglades ecosystem, but in many cases it has become the dominant marsh species, outcompeting other native plants. In Florida public waters, this cattail species is the most dominant emergent species of aquatic plants (Schardt 1997). Several factors enable it to accomplish opportunistic expansion, including size, growth habits, adaptability to changes in the surroundings, and the release of compounds that can prevent the growth and development of other species. We have been concerned in the past with the inhibitory effects of the T. domingensis extracts, and the phenolic compounds mentioned before, towards the growth and propagation of S. minima (Gallardo et al. 1998b). This investigation deals with the impact of cattail materials on the rates of oxygen production of salvinia, as determined through a series of Warburg experiments (Martin et al. 1987, Prindle and Martin 1996).

The History, Present Condition, and Future of the Molluscan Fisheries of North and Central American and Europe: Volume 1, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts

This three-volume monograph represents the first major attempt in over a century to provide, on regional bases, broad surveys of the history, present condition, and future of the important shellfisheries of North and Central America and Europe. It was about 100 years ago that Ernest Ingersoll wrote extensively about several molluscan fisheries of North America (1881, 1887) and about 100 years ago that Bashford Dean wrote comprehensively about methods of oyster culture in Europe (1893). Since those were published, several reports, books, and pamphlets have been written about the biology and management of individual species or groups ofclosely related mollusk species (Galtsoff, 1964; Korringa, 1976 a, b, c; Lutz, 1980; Manzi and Castagna, 1989; Shumway, 1991). However, nothing has been written during the past century that is comparable to the approach used by Ingersoll in describing the molluscan fisheries as they existed in his day in North America or, for that matter, in Europe. (PDF file contains 224 pages.)

Results of abundance surveys of juvenile Atlantic and gulf Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus and B. patronus

The estuarine populations of juvenile Atlantic and gulf menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus and B. patronus) were sampled during two-boat, surface-trawl, abundance surveys extensively conducted in the 1970s. Juvenile Atlantic menhaden were sampled in 39 estuarine streams along the U.S. Atlantic coast from northern Florida into Massachusetts. Juvenile gulf menhaden were sampled in 29 estuarine streams along the Gulf of Mexico from southeast Texas into western Florida. A stratified, two-stage, cluster sampling design was used. Annual estimates of relative juvenile abundance for each species of menhaden were obtained from catch-effort data from the surveys. There were no significant correlations, for either species, between the relative juvenile abundance estimates and fishery-dependent estimates of year-class strength. From 1972 to 1975, the relative abundance of juvenile Atlantic menhaden in north Atlantic estuaries decreased to near zero. (PDF file contains 22 pages.)

Effect of type of otolith and preparation technique on age estimation of larval and juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus)

Otoliths of larval and juvenile fish provide a record of age, size, growth, and development (Campana and Neilson, 1985; Thorrold and Hare, 2002). However, determining the time of first increment formation in otoliths (Campana, 2001) and assessing the accuracy (deviation from real age) and precision (repeatability of increment counts from the same otolith) of increment counts are prerequisites for using otoliths to study the life history of fish (Campana and Moksness, 1991). For most fish species, first increment deposition occurs either at hatching, a day after hatching, or after first feeding and yolksac absorption (Jones, 1986; Thorrold and Hare, 2002). Increment deposition before hatching also occurs (Barkmann and Beck, 1976; Radtke and Dean, 1982). If first increment deposition does not occur at hatching, the standard procedure is to add a predetermined number to increment counts to estimate fish age (Campana and Neilson, 1985).

The Ancillary Harvest of Atlantic Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, Roe on the North Carolina Coast

Gravid Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, are available along the central coast of North Carolina during the fall and are harvested by the purse-seine fleet from the port of Beaufort. Virtually all of the catch, sexually immature fish included, is reduces to fish meal, fish oil, and fish solubles; however, minor quantities of roe from ripening female menhaden are extracted for local consupmtion. Routine and selective port sampling information was used to characterize the seasonal and biostatistical nautre of the roe menhaden catches at Beaufort. Fishermen recognize two size classes of roe Atlantic menhaden: "forerunners," which are usually the smallest and earliest adult menhaden encountered in the Fall Fishery, and "mammy shad," which are the largest menhaden harvested and produce the greatest roe yields. Roe is extracted from femal fish at various points along the reduction process stream and by several techniques. Vessel cremen and factory personnel extract menhaden roe for personal and local consumption. Undetermined quantities of menhaden roe are channeled into local retail seafood markets. Wholesale prices are about $20 per gallon of roe, while retail prices are about $5 per pound. Carteret County, North Carolina, is probably the only area on the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts where menhaden roe is sold in retail seafood markets. The potential of extracting menhaden roe for foreign markets is discussed

The Origins and Early History of the Steamer Albatross, 1880–18

Spencer Fullerton Baird (Fig. 1), a noted systematic zoologist and builder of scientific institutions in 19th century America, persuaded the U.S. Congress to establish the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries1 in March 1871. At that time, Baird was Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Following the death of Joseph Henry in 1878, he became head of the institution, a position he held until his own demise in 1887. In addition to his many duties as a Smithsonian official, including his prominent role in developing the Smithsonian’s Federally funded National Museum as the repository for governmental scientific collections, Baird directed the Fish Commission from 1871 until 1887. The Fish Commission’s original mission was to determine the reasons and remedies for the apparent decline of American fisheries off southern New England as well as other parts of the United States. In 1872, Congress further directed the Commission to begin a large fish hatching program aimed at increasing the supply of American food f

Population Biology and Life History of the North American Menhadens, Brevoortia spp.

Four recognized species of menhaden, Brevoortia spp., occur in North American marine waters: Atlantic menhaden, B. tyrannus; Gulf menhaden, B. patronus; yellowfin menhaden. B. smithi; and finescale menhaden, B. gunteri. Three of the menhaden species are known to form two hybrid types. Members of the genus range from coastal waters of Veracruz, Mex., to Nova Scotia, Can. Atlantic and Gulf menhaden are extremely abundant within their respective ranges and support extensive purse-seine reduction (to fish meal and oil) fisheries. All menhaden species are estuarine dependent through late larval and juvenile stages. Depending on species and location within the range, spawning may occur within bays and sounds to a substantial distance offshore. Menhaden are considered to be filter-feeding, planktivorous omnivores as juveniles and adults. Menhaden eggs, immature developmental stages, and adults are potential prey for a large and diverse number of predators. North American menhadens, including two hybrids, are hosts for the parasitic isopod, Olencira praegustator, and the parasitic copepod, Lemaeenicus radiatus. Although the data are quite variable, a dome-shaped Ricker function is frequently used to describe the spawner-recruitment relationship for Atlantic and Gulf menhaden. Each of these species is treated as a single stock with respect to exploitation by the purse-seine reduction fishery. Estimates of instantaneous natural (other) mortality rates are O.45 for Atlantic menhaden and 1.1 for Gulf menhaden.

Overview of Mark-recovery Studies on Adult and Juvenile Atlantic Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, and Gulf Menhaden, B. patronus

Extensive mark-recapture studies using internal ferromagnetic tags have been conducted on Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, and Gulf menhaden, B. patronus. From 1966 through 1969, 1,066,357 adult Atlantic menhaden were tagged; subsequently, from 1970 through 1987, 428,272 juveniles of this species were tagged. Similarly, from 1969 through 1971, 75,673 adult Gulf menhaden were tagged; concurrently from 1970 through 1985, 236,936 juveniles were tagged and released. This report provides an overview of the history of the tagging program, methodologies for both release and recovery activities, a summary of release areas and number of fish tagged within each area, and a review of assumptions necessary for the analysis of this type of mark-recovery data. The resulting data sets have proven to be highly useful for a variety of analyses ranging from determination of migratory patterns and population structure to estimating mortality rates. The relatively wide range of acceptance of tagging results by laymen, industry, and analysts alike have made these data extremely useful for management-oriented analyses.

Mersey & Weaver Fisheries Advisory Committee 27th October, 1976.

This is the report from the Mersey and Weaver Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 27th October, 1976. The report contains sections on fish stocking, fisheries activities, weed growth in the River Weaver, pollution incidents and the drought situation. The section on fish stocking includes background information about fish stocking by the authority; difficulties; migratory fish; stocking after pollution; stocking of Waters within the Region; stocking with coarse fish; and recommendations. The section on fisheries activities includes fish mortalities and biological work on the River Tame, Goyt, Weaver, Mersey, Dane, Dean, and Gowy. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.