Ana Ramos-Pereira

The new CutSprof sampling tool and method for micromorphological and microfacies analyses of subsurface salt marsh sediments, Algarve, Portugal

A new tool and method for collecting undisturbed subsurface samples in estuarine environments by means of trenching, timbering and sectioning is presented. Smoothing of sidewalls is achieved by a so-called cutting sediment profiler (CutSprof), while water draining into the trench is cleared by pumping. From smoothed sidewall sections, undisturbed thin sediment slices can then be collected for micromorphological and microfacies analyses. Results demonstrating the successful application of this procedure are presented for salt marshes of the Bensafrim River estuary (Lagos, Algarve, Portugal). In addition to palaeo-reconstructions in salt marsh settings, the CutSprof would be highly suitable in various other research domains as well as for environmental management purposes, particularly where sampling below the groundwater table is desirable to explore, for example, animal–sediment relationships in tidal-flat and mangrove ecosystems as well as the dynamics of coastal wetlands today threatened by ever-increasing anthropogenic influence.