Restoring salinity gradients

restoring estuarine ecosystem

Overview

Estuarine environments and river outflows naturally contain mixing gradients of fresh and salt water that cause sediment to be imported along with salt water from the coast. In many urbanized environments, transitional zones have been eliminated in favor of constructed shorelines with pumps and locks. Restoring freshsalt transitions with diverted streams that meet the coast in wetland zones enhances and diversifies habitat conditions. Introducing gradients creates opportunities for flora and fauna with varying salinity tolerances, from migrating fish to plant ecosystems. In ports, eliminating sharp transitions by restoring salinity gradients affect the stratified flow, reducing the inflow of sediment and along with it, dredging requirements.

This concept contributes to the restoration of the estuarine ecosystem. More information on how to restore the estuarine ecosystem can be found here.