Transport and Mixing in Coastal Ecosystems

Abstract

The basic mechanisms for transport in the deep ocean and in coastal waters, namely convection and diffusion, have been examined in Chap. 8. In this chapter we will describe some examples illustrating the influence of transport of organic and inorganic matter on the geomorphology and ecology of coastal ecosystems, being under the constant influence of the adjacent ocean waters. The rhythms of tides, severe storms and long-term climatic perturbations shape the coasts. Sediment is continuously moving, being deposited in one place and eroded in another, as the shoreline attempts to establish an equilibrium with prevailing hydrodynamic conditions.