A Review of the Effects of Changes of Sediment and Topography of Nourished Beach on Intertidal Macrobenthic Fauna

Abstract

Currently, beach nourishment projects are undergoing rapid development. Nourished beaches are distributed from northern temperate zone to southern tropical zone along China’s sandy coastline. Nourished beaches can strengthen the coastal protection, provide entertainment areas and restore the ecological habitats. The macrobenthic fauna and recovery level play an important role in assessing nourishment benefits. The paper introduces the state and gap of nourished beaches monitoring and assessment, and the methodology and results of international research. Furthermore, the paper presents the hypothesis and research area of the effects of nourished beaches on the macrobenthic fauna for Chinese researchers. The paper aims to provide theoretical guidance and technical support for scientific sand nourishment and beach protection, and promote the development of the interdisciplinary fields of marine geology and marine biology.

Keywords

• nourished beach
• macrobenthic fauna
• monitoring and assessment
• scientific nourishment