An indicator to quantify the effects of hydrodynamic disturbances caused by coastal reclamation on aquatic organisms

摘要

In order to provide effective measures for reclamation management and alleviate damages on ecosystems under multiple anthropologic interferences, quantification of coastal reclamation hydrodynamic disturbance (CRHD) and determination of the related threshold value of ecosystem are presented in this research. Eleven monitoring areas (approximately 1 km2each) in Dongying Port of China are considered. Each monitoring areas were further divided into the affected and non-affected areas based on impact of coastal reclamation engineering by comparing the distribution of hydrodynamic disturbance. According to c the CRHD, which enhance quantification method in terms of (a) quantifying the CRHD for coastal environment under different types of coastal habitants, (b) developing the definition of hydrodynamic disturbance based on ecological threshold, and (c) prognosticating the distribution of IHD with the case study of Dongying port. As the results, IHD for most of affected area was 23.58% higher than that non-affected area in average. Also, CRHD was insensitive to sessile organisms’ growth, relatively sensitive to suspended organisms, and extremely sensitive to swimming organisms. The maximum ecological threshold value for sessile organisms was approximately 3.5, exceeding 45.32% and 38.83% actual intensity for the affected and non-affected areas, respectively. Also, the threshold value for suspended organisms was approximately 2.56, which was 3.55% less than that of the affected area. Comparatively, the threshold value for swimming organisms was approximately 2.05, which was 10.75% less than that of affected area. Therefore, it is not suitable to invest constructional project of coastal reclamation engineering at the northeast and northwest of Dongying port administrative regions. Overall, the quantitative modeling of CRHD is advantageous for policy maker to manage coastal reclamation engineering and protect aquatic biodiversity.