Shoreline Evolution and Environmental Changes at the NW Area of the Gulf of Gela (Sicily, Italy)

Coastal areas are among the most biologically productive, dynamic and valued ecosystems on Earth. They are subject to changes that greatly vary in scale, time and duration and to additional pressures resulting from anthropogenic activities. The aim of this work was to investigate the shoreline evolution and the main environmental changes of the coastal stretch between the towns of Licata and Gela (in the Gulf of Gela, Sicily, Italy). The methodology used in this work included the analysis of: (i) shoreline changes over the long- and medium-term periods (1955–2019 and 1989–2019, respectively), (ii) dune system fragmentation and (iii) the impact of coastal structures (harbours and breakwaters) on coastal evolution. The shoreline change analysis mainly showed a negative trend both over the long- and medium-term periods, with a maximum retreat of 3.87 m/year detected over the medium-term period down-drift of the Licata harbour. However, a few kilometres eastward from the harbour, significant accretion was registered where a set of breakwaters was emplaced. The Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE) showed that the main depositional phenomena occurred during the decade between 1955 and 1966, whereas progressive and constant erosion was observed between 1966 and 1989 in response to the increasing coastal armouring.

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Multi-domain probiotic consortium as an alternative to chemical remediation of oil spills at coral reefs and adjacent sites

Microbiome ◽

10.1186/s40168-021-01041-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Denise P. Silva ◽

Helena D. M. Villela ◽

Henrique F. Santos ◽

Gustavo A. S. Duarte ◽

José Roberto Ribeiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Oil Contamination ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Corexit 9500 ◽

Coral Health ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Beginning in the last century, coral reefs have suffered the consequences of anthropogenic activities, including oil contamination. Chemical remediation methods, such as dispersants, can cause substantial harm to corals and reduce their resilience to stressors. To evaluate the impacts of oil contamination and find potential alternative solutions to chemical dispersants, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with the fire coral Millepora alcicornis, which is sensitive to environmental changes. We exposed M. alcicornis to a realistic oil-spill scenario in which we applied an innovative multi-domain bioremediator consortium (bacteria, filamentous fungi, and yeast) and a chemical dispersant (Corexit® 9500, one of the most widely used dispersants), to assess the effects on host health and host-associated microbial communities. Results The selected multi-domain microbial consortium helped to mitigate the impacts of the oil, substantially degrading the polycyclic aromatic and n-alkane fractions and maintaining the physiological integrity of the corals. Exposure to Corexit 9500 negatively impacted the host physiology and altered the coral-associated microbial community. After exposure, the abundances of certain bacterial genera such as Rugeria and Roseovarius increased, as previously reported in stressed or diseased corals. We also identified several bioindicators of Corexit 9500 in the microbiome. The impact of Corexit 9500 on the coral health and microbial community was far greater than oil alone, killing corals after only 4 days of exposure in the flow-through system. In the treatments with Corexit 9500, the action of the bioremediator consortium could not be observed directly because of the extreme toxicity of the dispersant to M. alcicornis and its associated microbiome. Conclusions Our results emphasize the importance of investigating the host-associated microbiome in order to detect and mitigate the effects of oil contamination on corals and the potential role of microbial mitigation and bioindicators as conservation tools. Chemical dispersants were far more damaging to corals and their associated microbiome than oil, and should not be used close to coral reefs. This study can aid in decision-making to minimize the negative effects of oil and dispersants on coral reefs.

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MEDIUM-TERM Q-3D COASTAL AREA MODEL WITH SHORELINE CHANGE AROUND COASTAL STRUCTURES

Coastal Engineering 2004 ◽

10.1142/9789812701916_0176 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

MASAMITSU KUROIWA ◽

J. WILLIAM KAMPHUIS ◽

TAKAYUKI KUCHIISHI ◽

YUHEI MATSUBARA ◽

HIDEAKI NODA

Keyword(s):

Coastal Area ◽

Shoreline Change ◽

Coastal Structures ◽

Medium Term ◽

Area Model

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Shoreline evolution in an embayed beach adjacent to tidal inlet: The impact of anthropogenic activities

Geomorphology ◽

10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.106856 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 346 ◽

pp. 106856

Author(s):

Rui Zhang ◽

Lianghong Chen ◽

Shuaishuai Liu ◽

Heng Zhang ◽

Wenping Gong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Tidal Inlet ◽

Shoreline Evolution ◽

The Impact

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The impact of shoreline change on the salinity distribution in the wetlands of Liao River Estuary, China

10.5194/os-2020-36 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mingliang Zhang ◽

Tianping Xu ◽

Hengzhi Jiang

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Degradation Mechanism ◽

River Estuary ◽

Dilution Effect ◽

Shoreline Change ◽

Tidal Mixing ◽

Salinity Distribution ◽

Estuarine Wetlands ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The wetland of Liao River Estuary in northeast China is one of the best-preserved wetlands across the globe. However, it is extremely vulnerable to hydrological changes as well as other disturbances, particularly upstream river discharges and the reclamation from anthropogenic activities. In this study, a 3D hydrodynamic model (FVCOM) was used to reproduce the flow patterns of the Liao River Estuary and to explore the variation in salinity under different scenarios. Furthermore, the impact of river discharge and shoreline changes on the salinity distribution in the Liao River Estuary were quantitatively analyzed and discussed through several simulation experiments. The model reasonably reconstructed the spatio-temporal variability and distribution of salinity in the Liao River Estuary and the wetlands across intertidal areas. Increases in runoff were demonstrated to significantly decrease the mean salinity values of the estuary, with changes in salinity negatively correlated to the longitudinal distance from the estuary mouth. Moreover, the shoreline change caused by the construction of Panjin Port was observed to have an obvious influence on the salinity distribution of the Liao River Estuary, particularly in the lower reaches of the Pink Beach Wetland. Comparisons of the Liao River Estuary residual flow fields under different shorelines revealed that the establishment of the port resulted in the diffusion of the runoff from the Daliao River due to the obstruction of the port body, which enhanced the tidal mixing effect and consequently weakened the dilution effect of fresh water entering the Pink Beach Wetland. Overall, the current study should be helpful for offering a greater understanding of Suaeda heteroptera vegetation degradation in the Liao River Estuary, China, this work also provides a new perspective in investigating the degradation mechanism in other estuarine wetlands.

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Prediction of Shoreline Evolution. Reliability of a General Model for the Mixed Beach Case

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ◽

10.3390/jmse8050361 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 361

Author(s):

Giuseppe R. Tomasicchio ◽

Antonio Francone ◽

David J. Simmonds ◽

Felice D’Alessandro ◽

Ferdinando Frega

Keyword(s):

Shoreline Change ◽

Experiment Data ◽

Coastal Morphology ◽

Coastal Evolution ◽

Shoreline Evolution ◽

Coastline Evolution ◽

Longshore Transport ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

Good Agreement

In the present paper, after a sensitivity analysis, the calibration and verification of a novel morphodynamic model have been conducted based on a high-quality field experiment data base. The morphodynamic model includes a general formula to predict longshore transport and associated coastal morphology over short- and long-term time scales. With respect to the majority of the existing one-line models, which address sandy coastline evolution, the proposed General Shoreline beach model (GSb) is suitable for estimation of shoreline change at a coastal mound made of non-cohesive sediment grains/units as sand, gravel, cobbles, shingle and rock. In order to verify the reliability of the GSb model, a comparison between observed and calculated shorelines in the presence of a temporary groyne deployed at a mixed beach has been performed. The results show that GSb gives a good agreement between observations and predictions, well reproducing the coastal evolution.

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The impacts of runoff decrease and shoreline change on the salinity distribution in the wetlands of Liao River estuary, China

Ocean Science ◽

10.5194/os-17-187-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 187-201

Author(s):

Mingliang Zhang ◽

Tianping Xu ◽

Hengzhi Jiang

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Degradation Mechanism ◽

River Estuary ◽

Dilution Effect ◽

Shoreline Change ◽

Tidal Mixing ◽

Spatiotemporal Variability ◽

Salinity Distribution ◽

Estuarine Wetlands ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The wetland of Liao River estuary (LRE) in northeastern China is one of the best-preserved wetlands across the globe. However, it is extremely vulnerable to hydrological changes as well as other disturbances, particularly upstream river discharges and the reclamation from anthropogenic activities. In this study, a 3D hydrodynamic model was used to reproduce the flow patterns of the LRE and to explore the variation in salinity under different scenarios. Furthermore, the impact of river discharge and shoreline changes on the salinity distribution in the LRE was quantitatively analyzed and discussed through several simulation experiments. The model reasonably reconstructed the spatiotemporal variability and distribution of salinity in the Liao River estuary and the wetlands across intertidal areas. Increases in runoff were demonstrated to significantly decrease the mean salinity values of the estuary, with changes in salinity negatively correlated to the longitudinal distance from the estuary mouth. Moreover, the shoreline change caused by the construction of Panjin Port was observed to have an obvious influence on the salinity distribution of the LRE, particularly in the lower reaches of the Pink Beach wetland. Comparisons of the Liao River estuary residual flow fields under different shorelines revealed that the establishment of the port resulted in the diffusion of the runoff from the Daliao River due to the obstruction of the port body, which enhanced the tidal mixing effect and consequently weakened the dilution effect of freshwater entering the Pink Beach wetland. Overall, the current study should be helpful for offering a greater understanding of Suaeda heteroptera vegetation degradation in the LRE, China, and also provides a new perspective in investigating the degradation mechanism in other estuarine wetlands.

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BEACH MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES ON SENDAI COAST BY TYPHOON LIONROCK

Coastal Engineering Proceedings ◽

10.9753/icce.v36.sediment.34 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 34

Author(s):

Yuta Mitobe ◽

Hitoshi Tanaka ◽

Akihiro Suzuki ◽

Makoto Umeda ◽

Daisuke Komori ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pacific Coast ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Shoreline Change ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Change Analysis ◽

Field Surveys ◽

Beach Processes ◽

The Pacific ◽

History Of ◽

The Impact

In 2016, a few typhoons attacked Tohoku Area of Japan, and one of them, named Typhoon Lionrock, approached and hit Tohoku Area from the Pacific Coast, which is the first observed typhoon to have such a course in the observation history of Japan. In order to know magnitude of the storm surge and high waves induced by the typhoon and their influence on the coastal area, field surveys were conducted on the day of the typhoon arrival and also the next day. The target of the survey was Sendai Coast, which is a part of the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Area. The coast was severely affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami, and its effect on the beach morphology still remains according to shoreline change analysis with aerial photographs by Hoang et al. (2016). In this paper, the shoreline changes by and after the typhoon were analyzed with the aerial photographs taken in every one or two months to understand its effect on the beach processes. And the results were combined with the shoreline data after the 2011 tsunami to see the impact of the typhoon on the beach processes under the recovery from the tsunami event.

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The Mediterranean Coast of Andalusia (Spain): Medium-Term Evolution and Impacts of Coastal Structures

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11133539 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (13) ◽

pp. 3539 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Rosa Molina ◽

Giorgio Anfuso ◽

Giorgio Manno ◽

F. Javier Gracia Prieto

Keyword(s):

Software Evolution ◽

Mediterranean Coast ◽

Coastal Structures ◽

Coastal Evolution ◽

River Deltas ◽

Positive Balance ◽

R Project ◽

The Impact ◽

Very High ◽

Protection Structures

This paper shows coastal evolution along the Andalusia Region (Spain) and the impacts on it of coastal structures. The study area was divided into 47 units to calculate the erosion/accretion/stability (or evolution) rates by using the DSAS extension of ArcGIS software. Evolution rates were divided into different classes from “Very high accretion” to “Very high erosion”. As a result, 9 units recorded accretion, 19 stability and 19 erosion. Further, 17 units presented a positive balance and 28 units a negative one, showing a negative net balance of 29,738.4 m2/year corresponding to the loss of 1784.30 km2 of beach surface in the 1956–2016 period. The distribution of evolution areas along the studied coast was carried out by means of the “R” project for statistical computing. The analysis evidenced the impact of rigid structures: accretion was essentially observed up-drift of ports and groins and in correspondence of protection structures, especially of breakwaters. Erosion classes were observed down-drift of ports and groins and in correspondence of revetments/seawalls, and at largest river deltas, and “stability” was observed at pocket beaches and coastal areas locally stabilized by protection structures. Last, results were used to determine the distribution of swash- and drift-aligned coastal sectors and main direction of sedimentary transport.

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Evaluating the shoreline and bottom terrain variations in the naval port of zone 5, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang by using multi - temporal remote sensing images

Tạp chí Khoa học và Công nghệ Biển ◽

10.15625/1859-3097/19/3b/14529 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (3B) ◽

pp. 239-248

Author(s):

Nguyen The Luan ◽

Nguyen Ngoc Tien ◽

Tran Anh Tuan ◽

Le Dinh Nam ◽

Pham Duc Hung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Accumulation Rate ◽

Shoreline Change ◽

Terrain Analysis ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Change Analysis ◽

Average Width ◽

Main Research ◽

Shoreline Evolution ◽

Multi Temporal ◽

Elevation Model

In this study, the authors aim to study two major contents: (1) Evaluating the shoreline variation in the naval port of zone 5 (in the years of 1999, 2006, 2009 and 2016); (2) Evaluating the bottom terrain variation in the naval port of zone 5 (in the years of 2007 and 2010). Three main research methodologies were applied: (i) Band rationing method for the shoreline extraction; (ii) Shoreline change analysis method using GPS data; (iii) Digital elevation model integrated with bottom terrain analysis method. The most obvious change in shoreline is in the An Thoi port from Mui Den to Mui Ong Doi. In the shoreline from Mui Den to Mui Con Duong, a backward shoreline evolution (erosion) mainly occurred with an average width of about 40–50 m, while some other places had a forward shoreline evolution (accumulation), especially in Mui Con Duong with a width of 60 m. These sediment materials are sent to conductor and accumulation, making the bottom terrain raised. As on the sections AA’, BB’, CC’, DD’, we could see that the bottom terrain at the channel of naval port of zone 5 has the depth variation only from 2 m to 4 m. The accumulation rate is up to 1 m/year in this period.

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'Planning Economic Integration7, by L.B.M. Mennes, Rotterdam University Press, 1973.

The Pakistan Development Review ◽

10.30541/v12i4pp.438-439 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 438-439

Author(s):

G. M. Radhul

Keyword(s):

Economic Integration ◽

Point Of View ◽

Planning Model ◽

Integration Policy ◽

Medium Term ◽

Future Production ◽

Planning Models ◽

Partici Pant ◽

The Impact ◽

Integration Area

The book under review deals with economic integration among deve¬loping countries from the point of view of planning. The author believes that it is useful to approach economic integration from a planning point of view and to develop planning models for it, because the theory of economic integration relevant for developing countries should be directed towards the impact of integration on future investments and future production. The type of models used in the book are the multisector linear programming models and the method of analysis is essentially a comparison of two situations; one with economic integration and the other without. For each prospective partici¬pant a medium term planning model is drawn up taking account of its economic situation in some base year. The results of these single country planning models are analysed and compared to those of a similar planning model for the integration area as a whole. The consequences of the integration policy are then evaluated.

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