Corinne Corbau

Marine litter on Mediterranean shores: Analysis of composition, spatial distribution and sources in north-western Adriatic beaches

Marine litter is one descriptor in the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). This study provides the first account of an MSFD indicator (Trends in the amount of litter deposited on coastlines) for the north-western Adriatic. Five beaches were sampled in 2015. Plastic dominated in terms of abundance, followed by paper and other groups. The average density was 0.2 litter items m(-2), but at one beach it raised to 0.57 items m(-2). The major categories were cigarette butts, unrecognizable plastic pieces, bottle caps, and others. The majority of marine litter came from land-based sources: shoreline and recreational activities, smoke-related activities and dumping. Sea-based sources contributed for less. The abundance and distribution of litter seemed to be particularly influenced by beach users, reflecting inadequate disposal practices. The solution to these problems involves implementation and enforcement of local educational and management policies.

Measurements of Cross-Shore Sand fluxes on a Macrotidal Pocket Beach (Saint-Georges Beach, Atlantic Coast, SW France)

ABSTRACT Data on cross-shore sand transport were obtained during two tidal cycles on a dissipative macrotidal pocket beach in the outer Gironde Estuary (SW France). Sediment samples were collected, using streamer traps, at different elevations above the bed across the surf zone whilst measuring nearshore waves and cross-shore currents on the beach. During the experiment the tidal range reached 3.8 m and the current speeds on the beach were up to 0.5 m s−1. Wave activity was characterised by a variable significant height, ranging from 0.3 m at low to 0.94 m at high tide, due to the sheltering effect of a nearshore sand bank. The study found that the median grain size of the transported sediment ranged from 0.207 mm to 0.333 mm, decreasing slightly away from the bed, with less than 0.056 mm variation throughout the water column. This vertical distribution was assumed to be related to a near uniform mixing by saturation of turbulence and to large scale vertical eddies under breaking and/or broken waves. The fluxes calculated using the sediment captured in the streamer traps increased exponentially or linearly towards the bottom, whilst some curves had an S-shaped profile. These results confirm the general theory of a decrease in sediment transport rate away from the bed. However, the S-shaped profile may be due to coherent vortex structures which led to strongly irregular patterns. Finally, the sediment fluxes appeared to be higher during the ebb than during the flood tide, indicating a tidal influence on sediment transport.

A National Database on Coastal Dunes: Emilia-Romagna and Southern Veneto Littorals (Italy)

This chapter describes the role of the coastal dunes in the context of coastal erosion and presents the possibility of making complex analyses on coastal dunes presence and state using a geodatabase, developed within a national research program. Data and parameters, such as littoral uses, defenses and coastal dune features, have been organized in the same geodatabase structure. This national homogeneous approach makes this project unique for Southern Mediterranean coasts. Applying this approach to data gathered from the Emilia-Romagna and Southern Veneto regions highlighted the complex analyses possibilities and their implication for coastal management and monitoring.

Application of the Principles of ICZM for Restoring the Goro Lagoon

ABSTRACT The Goro lagoon has been adversely affected by intense anthropogenic impacts, which have resulted in deterioration of the lagoons environmental health. An intervention at the lagoons secondary mouth was done in order to improve the water exchange between the lagoon and the sea and to reclaim the lagoons floor. This intervention comprised reprofiling the submerged sandspit platform and the tidal channel and nourishing the barrier island. After completion of the intervention, clam production increased by 28% and the lagoons ecological quality substantially improved. The project utilized some of the eight principles of integrated coastal zone management to reach the best compromise between the socioeconomic needs and preservation of the lagoon. The realization of the successful intervention was first secured in a memorandum of agreement that was drafted by negotiations between the Emilia-Romagna Region Council, the Province of Ferrara, Goro Municipality, and the local fishermens association. Two committees managed the intervention and ensured that all stakeholders participated in the decisionmaking process. The collaboration between public and private sectors enabled the forging of a cost-effective intersectoral intervention with a long-term perspective, which fulfilled the specific ecological needs of the lagoon and guaranteed sustainable development for the lagoons adjacent human communities.

Textural changes and heavy metal distribution in sediments after decontamination treatment by soil washing and attrition scrubber

PurposeThe study was aimed to provide information on the decontamination of sediments polluted with heavy metals by soil washing and attrition scrubber techniques, assessing the efficiency of a prototype machinery for the improvement of sediment quality dredged in the Ravenna Harbor (Italy). An additional purpose was to compare the heavy metal distribution in sediment fractions collected after these treatments.Materials and methodsTextural and geochemical characteristics were determined in bulk sediments and after the treatments of soil washing and attrition scrubbing by a smaller scale prototype. Statistical analyses were carried out to verify the heavy metal correlations at each step of the treatments.Results and discussionTextural features after treatments showed moderate separation of sand and silt/clay fractions after soil washing and an increase of the fine fractions after attrition scrubbing. Bulk sediments polluted by arsenic (As) were decontaminated after treatments. Concerning heavy metals, mercury was concentrated in the sand while aluminum, As, cadmium, chrome, iron, manganese, zinc, and vanadium were concentrated in the silt/clay fraction. Bivariate plots showed a significant correlation of heavy metals with sand percentage after soil washing and attrition scrubbing.ConclusionsThe results suggest that heavy metal concentrations were significantly affected by grain size distribution. Soil washing resulted in the complete decontamination of As in the sediments. The heavy metal concentration was altered in each step of the treatments according to three different trends.