Restoring and Protecting Marine Habitat The Role of Engineering and Technology (1994) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 9-17
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From page 9... ...
a concentration of population in coastal areas approaching 50 percent of the total U.S. population and projected population growth; · a proliferation of shoreline development; · increased water-dependent recreation; · water quality degradation from the introduction of pollutants, excess nutrients, and sediments into coastal waters from nonpoint and point-sources and from soil erosion affecting upland areas; .
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From page 10... ...
Available technology provides opportunities to protect, enhance, restore, and create marine and estuarine habitats and, subsequently, to protect some fishery resources and wildlife, including endangered species. But, existing methods do not address these issues adequately; nor do they adequately address the effects of large-scale subsidence, land use in the coastal plain, sea level rise, extensive erosion, and massive and continuous salt water intrusion into freshwater surface and groundwater systems.
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From page 11... ...
These areas include marine wetlands such as tidal marshes, emergent wetlands, sea grass beds, kelp forests, and mangrove swamps. Also included are beaches, shallow inshore and near shore submerged environments, and tidal and intertidal flats.
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From page 12... ...
Although use of dredged material does not constitute restoration, per se, restoration can be accomplished using dredged material in its native environment to achieve general parameters which will aid in natural marsh evolution in those locations where marine sediments would normally form essential substrates for intertidal and emergent wetlands habitat. Placing marine sediments so as to mimic natural deposition of sediment at sites where conditions otherwise favor restoration would preclude the chemical changes that occur when marine sediments are exposed to air in upland areas or in wetlands above appropriate intertidal elevations.
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From page 13... ...
Human activities have altered natural current action and sedimentation patterns; degraded water quality by introducing excess nutrients, toxins, and sediments into coastal waters as a result of nonpoint and point-source pollutants; altered estuarine inflow and outflow patterns; and changed other physical, chemical, and biological processes. Protecting finfish and shellfish habitats is a concern, as are sedimentation starvation and excess sedimentation in deltaic and other fragile wetland systems.
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From page 14... ...
A positive role for the engineering profession can be developed in cooperation with the scientific community to protect and enhance marine habitat and contribute information essential to the formation and refinement of national policy and management objectives. Overview of Scientific and Engineering Capabilities Although examples of successful applied engineering capabilities to accomplish environmental objectives are numerous, traditional engineering practices have not always recognized and dealt fully with the varied needs of marine habitats.
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From page 15... ...
Although there are still gaps in knowledge about turtle nesting, the approach used shows the potential benefits from cooperative application of scientific knowledge and coastal engineering technology. Fisheries biologists and navigation project design engineers (interested in successful construction and maintenance of navigation channels)
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From page 16... ...
All are experienced with project design, implementation, evaluation, equipment, and structures. Their experience contributes to an understanding of and methods to prepare construction plans, documents, and cost estimates; evaluate and recommend contractor engagements; and develop and implement project monitoring techniques and performance evaluations.
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From page 17... ...
The environmental benefits of dredged material have sometimes been learned by accident. For example, practitioners learned that artificial islands created with dredged material from operations to maintain shipping channels often provide a primary habitat for sea birds and wading birds and a refuge for species displaced from other sites by human activity.
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