Beneficial use of sediment - use of sediment tracing in global projects to address dredging and port challenges
Type:
Presented during:
CEDA Dredging Days 2026
Authors:
J. Marsh
Abstract
Environmental Tracing (ET) has been involved in numerous dredge sediment management and improvement and beneficial use projects globally, the aim of the presentation is to share findings from these projects, including the challenges associated with specific beneficial use opportunities. Ports and authorities face ever increasing pressures to maintain deeper and wider channels and berths. Around the UK and globally, there is an appetite and need to increase the beneficial use of dredged material for sensitive habitat regeneration, coastal protection and beach nourishment. The beneficial use of dredged materials, and recognising this sediment as a resource rather than a problem, when deployed appropriately, becomes more and more important in our ever changing coastlines. ET uses environmentally benign fluorescent tracer particles to track and understand sediment movements. The particles can be adjusted to mimic the physical properties of the target particle in terms of size, density and surface charge. They are fluorescent throughout, highly detectable allowing monitoring over large areas (>100km2) and long durations (months or years). Multiple colours can be released and tracked simultaneously to identify different sediment sources, processes and pathways. They provide a unique tool in order to better understand the complex sediment dynamics associated with a coastal environment to generate a 'system-understanding'. The tracers also allow for the measurement of the fate of dredged material for different water depths and positions within potential or existing beneficial use sites. ET has been involved in some recent large scale dredging improvement and beneficial use studies and this presentation aims to share details and findings from these studies as a means to knowledge share with the wider industry: - Harwich Haven Authority / Port of Felixstowe, United Kingdom - Mud Motor, Wadden Sea, Netherlands - Port of Liverpool (Peel Ports), United Kingdom - Southeast Florida Sediment Morphodynamics Study, USA