Management of Dredging Activities in a Highly Vulnerable Site: Simulation Modelling and Monitoring Activity

Diana De Padova,Mouldi Ben Meftah,Michele Mossa,Francesca De Serio

doi:10.3390/jmse8121020

Diana De Padova, Mouldi Ben Meftah + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8121020

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Abstract

Unfortunately, more and more contaminants, such as heavy metals and other organic micro-pollutants, degrade the good ecological status of marine systems. The removal of contaminated sediments from harbours through dredging activities may cause harmful changes in the environment. This present work shows how monitoring the activity and validated numerical models can be of great help to dredging activities that can cause environmental impacts due to the increase of the suspended solid concentration (SSC) and their dispersion and deposition far from the dredging point. This study is applied to a hypothetical dredging project in a very vulnerable coastal site in Southern Italy, the Mar Piccolo Basin. A statistical analysis of the simulated parameter SSC was carried out to numerically estimate its spatial (vertical and horizontal) variability, thereby allowing an evaluation of the potential environmental effects on the coastal area.

Highlights

In the last years, the problem of contaminated marine sediments has become a worldwide environmental issue, because it threatens the marine systems and human health
It is necessary to calculate the spatial distribution of suspended solid concentration (SSC) and to During a dredging activity, it is necessary to calculate the spatial distribution of SSC and to characterise sensitive resources
SSC is carriedsensitive out to numerically their spatial variability order to parameters SSC is carried out to numerically estimate their spatial variability have an evaluation of the potential environmental effects on the coastal area

Summary

Introduction

The problem of contaminated marine sediments has become a worldwide environmental issue, because it threatens the marine systems and human health. When dredging is a fundamental element of the economic/environmental performance of a basin, it is very important to define an environmental monitor strategy to assess the state of the marine ecosystem in order to avoid any adverse effects to the environment and prepare the eventual adoption of mitigation measures. The most important environmental problems on marine organisms are reductions in dissolved oxygen and the decrease of sunlight in surface water due to turbidity. In the last years, increasing attention has been paid to environmental impacts during dredging activities, and mitigating measures to reduce these effects have been adopted [2]

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