Presentation by Xianbin Lu and Laura Fidalgo

1. The introduction of coastal
infrastructure as a driver of
change in marine environments
By Fabio Bulleri and Maura G. Chapman
Presented by:
Xianbin Liu and Laura Fidalgo
Course: Coastal Environment – CIAM 6117
Department of Environmental Science
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Thursday, September 27, 2012

2. Introduction
 Problem – Diffident ecological
– Human settlement near shore impact studies
(75% by 2025)
– Major tourism destination
– Impacted coastal landscape
– Alteration of intertidal zone and
nearshore estuaries and marine
waters habitat
 Homogeneous topography affects
species interactions
 Unnatural Material affect
colonization
 Fragmentation

3. Introduction
 Objectives
– Summarize the
ecological impact of
urban infrastructure on
marine habitat know
today
– Discuss the implication
of alternative coastal
defense options
– Identify the direction of
future research

4. Urban Coastal
Infrastructure
 Breakwaters
– Reduce the intensity
of waves in inshore
waters
– Decreases nutrients
input and waste
wash off
– Changes marine life
distribution

5. Management Alternative
 Incorporating into shoreline stabilization
natural elements:
– Wetland Vegetation
– Seagrasses
– Coarse Woody Debris
– Shellfish Reefs
– Coral Reefs
 Reduces ecological impacts without
impinging on their efficacy in halting erosion.

6. Urban Coastal
Infrastructure
 Groynes
– Reduce along-shore
transport of
sediments

7. Management Alternative
 Small size groynes are less detrimental to
shore sediment movement.
 Sand dunes
– Protect beaches from erosion and recruit sand to
eroded beaches.

8. Urban Coastal
Infrastructure
 Jetties
– Reduce wave- and
tide-generated
currents
– Affects intertidal
organisms
biodiversity

9. Management Alternative
 Better collaboration among engineers,
managers and ecologists to develop
improved ways of building infrastructure.
 Provide habitat for more species without
compromising engineering standards.

10. Urban Coastal
Infrastructure
 Seawalls
Bulkheads
– Reduces the impact
of waves on shore
– Does not support
natural communities
assemblages
– Increases
steepness of shore
– Deeper nearshore
waters

11. Management Alternative
 (a) Intertidal ‘rock-
pools’ constructed in
the vertical face of a
seawall in Sydney
Harbour (Australia).
 Mitigates effects of loss
or degradation of rocky
platforms on intertidal
biodiversity.
 (b) Rock-pool retaining
water during low tide.

12. Urban Coastal
Infrastructure
 Pilings
– Sustain
infrastructure, such
as bridges, piers,
docks
– Shading and
seafloor proximity
affects communities
assemblages
(Glasby, 1999)

13. Management Alternative
 Height, orientation, and width of docks,
piers, and bridges may reduce impact to
vegetation productivity (Shaefer, D. and J.
(
Lundin, 1999).

14. Urban Coastal
Infrastructure
 Floating docks
– Creates boating
facilities
– Shading
consequences:
 Decrease benthic
productivity
 Decrease
carbon/nitrogen
content
 Changes in physical
characteristics in
sediment underneath
– Affects Epibiota
Structure

15. Urban Coastal
Infrastructure
 Ropes-poles/cages-
nets
– Constituents of
aquaculture facilities
– Marine water
pollution

16. Management Alternative
 Onshore fish farms are the most sustainable
types of aquaculture.
– the self-contained systems do not pollute the
marine environment.

17. Future directions for
research
 How fundamental ecological
processes are affected
 Ecological interaction on artificial
structures
 Ecological engineering

18. Concluding remarks
 Urban marine novel ecosystem need a
closer understanding
– Sustaining biodiversity
– Successful conservation and
management
– Mitigate human coastal development and
climate change effects

19. Discussion

20. Reference
 Curran, C. and D. Hoskins. 2006. Assessing the
Impacts of Floating Docks on Bottom Character and
Benthic Productivity in Coastal Georgia.
 Kunkel, C. M., R. W. Hallberg, and M.
Oppenheimer. 2006. Coral reefs reduce tsunami
impact in model simulations, Geophys. Res. Lett.,
33, L23612, doi:10.1029/2006GL027892.
 The University of Sidney wed site:
http://sydney.edu.au/science/bio/eicc/publications/journal
 Shaefer, D. and J. Lundin. 1999. Design and
Construction of Docks to Minimize Seagrass
Impacts. US Army Corps of Engineers WRP
Technical Note VN–RS–3.1 June 1999.