The “beneficial uses” of dredged sediment are increasingly being explored for habitat restoration and beach nourishment. At ocean and nearshore deposition sites, any beneficial use must be tempered by evaluating impacts to the benthos. We studied a site at the mouth of the Columbia River where a “thin-layer” sediment deposition method was employed to minimize mounding and disperse sediment within a prescribed area. We used baited benthic video landers (BVLs) in a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) experimental design to test the acute effects of sediment deposition on the Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) and dog whelk (Nassarius spp). We considered the acute effects of both sediment deposition depths and the lateral surge (the turbidity front transiting the seafloor). Observations revealed sedimentation levels were limited (< 4 cm) and likely posed no direct threat to epifauna. Video and instrument readings showed the lateral surge to impact the BVLs as a 2 to 3 m/s sediment-laden front. Crabs were significantly impacted, while gastropods were more resistant to dislodgment. However, the high velocity impact was relatively brief (5 to 7 min). Further, crabs often returned to forage at BVLs after a mean lag of about 20 min post-impact. These results indicate an acute but ephemeral impact effect on crab, and support use of the thin-layer deposition method to minimize burial. The BVLs in a BACI experimental design were an effective means of measuring sediment impacts to mobile epifauna, and video observations were informative for understanding lateral surge dynamics and the behavioral interactions of organisms.
Benthic video landers reveal impacts of dredged sediment deposition events on mobile epifauna are acute but transitory