Effects of Dredging & Soil Deposition

CCB has undertaken a number of studies looking at effects and potential effects of dredging and spoil deposition. We can undertake traditional studies and/or state-of-the-art biogeochemical studies depending on our Clients needs.

Traditional

• Assessment of dredge material contaminants (CRS, AVS, heavy metals etc.)
• Baseline and compliance monitoring programs to assess the effects of suspended sediments on seagrasses, macrofauna, mangroves, corals and other ecological communities. These studies can be combined with hydrodynamic modelling of the work site to determine the likely movement to suspended sediment prior to designing monitoring programs.

However, traditional ecological studies alone are not sufficient in today's environment with resource managers and regulatory agencies demanding to also know the potential impacts of dredging activities on ecosystem processes.

Biogeochemical

• Experiments to determine the potential release of nutrients from dredge material, experiments to determine the sediment oxygen demand of dredge material and field measurements to determine natural nutrient release rates and sediment oxygen demand at the spoil sites to compare to potential releases from dredge material.
• Baseline and monitoring programs to assess the effects of dredge spoil disposal on key benthic processes such as benthic productivity (Benthic Microalgae) and sediment denitrification.

Updated: 16 December 2010