Restoring and Protecting Marine Habitat The Role of Engineering and Technology (1994) / Chapter Skim
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7 Research Needs
7 Research Needs
Pages 102-112
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From page 102... ...
. Most federal agencies with responsibilities for coastal zone or marine habitat management and the National Science Foundation also sponsor extensive basic and applied research under contract with colleges, universities, private foundations, businesses, and sister agencies.
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From page 103... ...
State and Private Programs Some coastal states have active research programs that include cooperative efforts under the Sea Grant Program, marine experimental stations and extension services, and sponsorship of research facilities and consortia with colleges and universities. Some conservation organizations sponsor or conduct research applicable to marine habitat management.
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From page 104... ...
Basic research conducted by federal agencies includes several decades of intertidal research in the Savannah River estuary by the DOE's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory; NMFS work involving seagrass and fisheries species (Thayer, 19921; USFWS basic research on coastal species management; USES basic research on marine habitats; and USACE work on the long-term fate of dredged material, long-term monitoring (environmental and engineering) , contaminated sediments, equipment, structures, engineering technology, wetlands, habitat restoration, and critical processes.
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From page 105... ...
It is an interagency initiative to improve the stewardship of coastal resources by effectively addressing habitat degradation and loss, nonpoint source pollution, and contaminated sediments. A consortium of federal agencies made a substantial investment of resources in formulating the initiative.
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From page 106... ...
Existing coastal engineering technologies provide a relatively substantial capability, but they do not meet specialized restoration needs. Engineering gaps include specialized equipment and methodologies for placement and stabilization of construction materials in marshes and intertidal habitats, structural design, use of soft sediments as substrate materials, and the locking of contaminants in sediments to prevent habitat degradation.
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From page 107... ...
Needed soil-related research includes: · conversion of bottom sediments and upland soils to suitable substrates for intertidal habitats; transportation and storage of hydric soils; care and protection of seed banks; consolidation and settling properties; characteristics and origins of soils; placement technology for all habitat types; and suitability of foundation materials. Vegetation Applied restoration research on plant materials includes some life-cycle requirements work on dominant intertidal marshes and other intertidal vegetated habitats.
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From page 108... ...
Physical Energy Systems The physical energy affecting marine habitats is usually derived from winds (wave and coastal currents) , currents (tidal or river)
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From page 109... ...
1981; Raphael and Jaworski, 1979; Shabman et al., 1979; Shabman and Batie, 1978; Shabman and Bertleson, 1979; Skaggs and McDonald, eds., 1991; Thibodeau and Ostro, 1981; Tschirhart and Crocker, 19871. ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY NEEDS Principal gaps in engineering technology as it pertains to marine habitat management relate to precise placement and stabilization of dredged material, geotextiles, specialized equipment, structural design, contaminated sediments, and multipurpose applications, described below.
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From page 110... ...
Installation of water control structures and selective breaches in levees to provide for natural replenishment of marshes have demonstrated that there is room for innovation in traditional engineering structures. Traditional coastal engineering structural applications could be examined to determine whether and to what degree design rules can be modified to minimize impacts on various marine habitats.
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From page 111... ...
The primary motivations for research, it should be noted, are not potential uses in protection or restoration, but management of those contaminated sediments that threaten environmental quality or that need to be moved for navigation projects in an environmentally safe way. Multipurpose Applications Multipurpose applications are those that are intended to serve ecological as well as social objectives such as shoreline protection, recreation, and public education.
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From page 112... ...
Emphasis in recent years has been on wetlands. However, declining stocks of important commercial fishes that depend on a range of marine habitats suggest the need for more attention to ecosystem requirements, including wetlands but not excluding other habitat types found in water bodies, adjacent uplands and islands, and river systems and watersheds supplying water and sediments to coastal estuaries.
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