Seasonal Growth and Senescence of a Zostera marina Seagrass Meadow Alters Wave-Dominated Flow and Sediment Suspension Within a Coastal Bay. Hansen, J. C. & Reidenbach, M. A. Estuaries and Coasts, 2013.
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Tidally driven flows, waves, and suspended sediment concentrations were monitored seasonally within a Zostera marina seagrass (eelgrass) meadow located in a shallow (1-2 m depth) coastal bay. Eelgrass meadows were found to reduce velocities approximately 60 % in the summer and 40 % in the winter compared to an adjacent unvegetated site. Additionally, the seagrass meadow served to dampen wave heights for all seasons except during winter when seagrass meadow development was at a minimum. Although wave heights were attenuated across the meadow, orbital motions caused by waves were able to effectively penetrate through the canopy, inducing wave-enhanced bottom shear stress (τb). Within the seagrass meadow, τb was greater than the critical stress threshold (=0.04 Pa) necessary to induce sediment suspension 80-85 % of the sampling period in the winter and spring, but only 55 % of the time in the summer. At the unvegetated site, τb was above the critical threshold greater than 90 % of the time across all seasons. During low seagrass coverage in the winter, near-bed turbulence levels were enhanced, likely caused by stem-wake interaction with the sparse canopy. Reduction in τb within the seagrass meadow during the summer correlated to a 60 % reduction in suspended sediment concentrations but in winter, suspended sediment was enhanced compared to the unvegetated site. With minimal seagrass coverage, τb and wave statistics were similar to unvegetated regions; however, during high seagrass coverage, sediment stabilization increased light availability for photosynthesis and created a positive feedback for seagrass growth. © 2013 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation.
@article{hansen_seasonal_2013,
	title = {Seasonal {Growth} and {Senescence} of a {Zostera} marina {Seagrass} {Meadow} {Alters} {Wave}-{Dominated} {Flow} and {Sediment} {Suspension} {Within} a {Coastal} {Bay}},
	doi = {10.1007/s12237-013-9620-5},
	abstract = {Tidally driven flows, waves, and suspended sediment concentrations were monitored seasonally within a Zostera marina seagrass (eelgrass) meadow located in a shallow (1-2 m depth) coastal bay. Eelgrass meadows were found to reduce velocities approximately 60 \% in the summer and 40 \% in the winter compared to an adjacent unvegetated site. Additionally, the seagrass meadow served to dampen wave heights for all seasons except during winter when seagrass meadow development was at a minimum. Although wave heights were attenuated across the meadow, orbital motions caused by waves were able to effectively penetrate through the canopy, inducing wave-enhanced bottom shear stress (τb). Within the seagrass meadow, τb was greater than the critical stress threshold (=0.04 Pa) necessary to induce sediment suspension 80-85 \% of the sampling period in the winter and spring, but only 55 \% of the time in the summer. At the unvegetated site, τb was above the critical threshold greater than 90 \% of the time across all seasons. During low seagrass coverage in the winter, near-bed turbulence levels were enhanced, likely caused by stem-wake interaction with the sparse canopy. Reduction in τb within the seagrass meadow during the summer correlated to a 60 \% reduction in suspended sediment concentrations but in winter, suspended sediment was enhanced compared to the unvegetated site. With minimal seagrass coverage, τb and wave statistics were similar to unvegetated regions; however, during high seagrass coverage, sediment stabilization increased light availability for photosynthesis and created a positive feedback for seagrass growth. © 2013 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation.},
	journal = {Estuaries and Coasts},
	author = {Hansen, Jennifer C.R. and Reidenbach, Matthew A.},
	year = {2013},
	keywords = {Environmental Interactions, Processes, and Modeling},
}

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