Can sand nourishment material affect dune vegetation through nutrient addition?

In the Netherlands it is common to nourish the coastline with sand from the seabed. Foredunes are replenished with sand from the beach and can be transported further into the dune area.We investigated whether nourishment material alters the phosphorus (P) content of dune soil and the nitrogen (N):P ratio of dune vegetation in two areas: a mega...

Ecotoxicological risk of trace element mobility in coastal semiartificial depositional areas near the mouth of the river Rhine, the Netherlands

Artificial sand replenishments are globally used as innovative coastal protection measures. In these replenishments elevated porewater concentrations of trace elements are found. The present study investigated possible ecotoxicological risks at 2 intertidal depositional sites, the Sand Engine as a recent innovative Dutch coastal management...

Environmental geochemistry of a mega beach nourishment in the Netherlands: Monitoring freshening and oxidation processes

As coastal lowlands are prone to sea water flooding, sea-level rise might globally increase this risk. To protect its coastline, the Netherlands adds an average of 12 million m3 of sand annually, but more is needed to cope with the expected consequences of global warming. In 2011 a novel approach for coastal protection was applied near The Hague...

Mobilisation of toxic trace elements under various beach nourishments

To enhance protection and maintain wide beaches for recreation, beaches are replenished with sand: socalled beach nourishments. We compared four sites: two traditional beach nourishments, a mega beach nourishment and a reference without beach nourishment. Two sites contain calcareous-rich sand, whereas the other two sites have calcareous-poor...