The Role of Macrophytes in Sediment Transport in the Coastal Zone of the World Ocean

Yu. D. Shuisky

Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Odessa, Ukraine

e-mail: physgeo_onu@ukr.net

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research of the role of macrophytes in sediment supply to the coastal zone of the World Ocean, an important source of sediment that has been overlooked by coastal researchers. This source is red and brown algae that bring coarse debris from the submarine slope to the sea coast. These plants attach to hard surfaces on the seabed slope, to separate stones, boulders, rock benches etc. The algal thallus reacts to the influence of wave currents, the speed of which can be over 2 m/s. Studies have shown that algae act as a kind of lever by which rock debris is torn away from the underwater slope. At direct wave speeds, the debris moves to the shore and is thrown onto the beach by the tidal current. Since red and brown algae grow in the coastal shallow waters of all geographical zones in all oceans, this mechanism of sediment supply to the shore must be widespread. But in fact, it appears that this mechanism and physical and geographical conditions under which it operates have not been described but only mentioned in a few literature sources. Our research showed that in some areas this source of sediment can supply up to half of all the beach sediments, e. g. those along the Frisian, Aleutian, Kuril Islands, islands of Saaremaa, Newfoundland, Sakhalin, Britannia and some others.

Keywords

World Ocean, coastal zone, brown algae, rhizoid, underwater slope, sediments

For citation

Shuisky, Yu.D., 2021. The Role of Macrophytes in Sediment Transport in the Coastal Zone of the World Ocean. Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea, (4), pp. 27–38. doi:10.22449/2413-5577-2021-4-27-38 (in Russian).

DOI

10.22449/2413-5577-2021-4-27-38

References

  1. Zenkovich, V.P., 1962. [Principles of Theory on the Coast Development]. Moscow: Izd. AN SSSR, 710 p. (in Russian).
  2. Kaplin, Р.А., 1973. [Newest Hystory of the World Ocean Coasts]. Moskow: Mysl′, 265 p. (in Russian).
  3. Dolan, R., Hayden, B., and Heywood, J., 1978. Analysis of coastal erosion and storm surge hazards. Coastal Engineering, (2), pp. 41–54. doi:10.1016/0378-3839(78)90004-2
  4. Shuisky, Yu.D., 1986. Problems of Drifts Balance Investigation in Coastal Zone. Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 240 p. (in Russian).
  5. Zenkovich, V.P., Ionin, A.S., Kaplin, P.A. and Medvedev, V.S., 1967. [The Pacific Coasts]. Moscow: Nauka, 375 p. (in Russian).
  6. Shuisky, Yu.D., 2018. [History of Development and Methodology of Coastal Science]. Odessa: Astroprint, 446 p. (in Russian).
  7. Gibb, J.G., 1978. Rates of Coastal Erosion and Accretion in New Zealand // New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 12(4), pp. 429–451. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288330.1978.9515770
  8. Shuisky, Yu.D., Vykhovanets, G.V. and Gogoberidze, G.G., 2020. Peculiarities of Shore Accumulative Forms of Relief along the Kola Coast of the Barents Sea // Izvestiya Russkogo Geograficheskogo Obshestva, 152(2), pp. 31–42. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0869607120020068
  9. Schwartz, M.L., 1982. Encyclopedia of Beaches and Coastal Environments. Stroudsburg: Hutchinson Ross Publ. Co. (USA), pp. 857–859.
  10. Zenkevich, L.A., 1963. [Seas of the USSR: its Fauna and Flora]. Moscow: Uchpedgiz, 424 p. (in Russian).
  11. Gollerbakh, M.M., ed., 1977. Life of Algae and Plants. Volume 3: Algae and Herpes. Moscow: Prosveshchenie, 487 p. (in Russian).
  12. Bird, E.С.F., 1985. Coastline Changes: A Global Review. Willey, 232 p.
  13. Ignatov, E.I., 2004. [Coastal Morphosystems]. Moscow-Smolensk: Magenta, 352 p. (in Russian).
  14. Leontiev, I.O., 2001. [Coastal Dynamics: Waves, Currents, Sediment Flows]. Moscow: GEOS, 272 p. (in Russian).

Download the article (PDF, in Russian)