Developing an interactive Tool for evaluating sand nourishment strategies along the Holland coast in perspective of benthos, fish nursery and dune quality

Abstract

Sand nourishments can affect the coastal ecosystem in various ways. Direct effects are the burial of benthic species under a layer of sand. In the direct vicinity, suffocation of benthos can occur due to the settling of a plume of suspended sediment particles. A plume of fine particles may also increase turbidity and thereby affect primary production and the foraging success of filter-feeding benthos and fish. Indirect effects are habitat change, such as altered morphology and sedimentology. It was tested by investigating whether it is possible to optimise nourishment configuration, location and timing, to: - minimise the impact on benthos, - increase nursery area and/or quality, and - enhance dune quality