Estuarine Ecohydrology
1st Edition
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Description
Estuarine Ecohydrology focuses on the principal components of an estuary. The book demonstrates how one can quantify an estuarine ecosystem's ability to cope with human stresses. The theories, models, and real-world solutions covered will serve as a toolkit for designing a management plan for the ecologically sustainable development of an estuary.
This book is organized into seven chapters dealing with topics such as estuarine water circulation; estuarine sediment dynamics; tidal wetlands; estuarine food webs; and ecohydrology models and solutions. Although each chapter contains rigorous specialist knowledge, it is presented in an accessible way that encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration between such fields as hydrology, ecology and mathematical modeling.
Estuarine Ecohydrology is appropriate for use as a textbook and as a reference for researchers; advanced undergraduate and graduate students in marine biology, oceanography, coastal management, and coastal engineering; coastal developers; resources managers, shipping operators; and those involved in estuarine fisheries and sustainable development communities.
Key Features
- Appropriate for use as a textbook and as a reference
- Focuses on the principal components of an estuary
- Presents theories, models, and real-world solutions to serve as a toolkit for designing a management plan for the ecologically sustainable development of an estuary
Readership
Researchers and advanced undergraduate and graduate students in marine biology, oceanography, coastal management, and coastal engineering, as well as estuarine fisheries, coastal developers, resources managers, sustainable development communities, and shipping operators.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. What is an estuary?
1.2. Humanity and estuaries
1.2.1. Sedimentation from sediment eroded from cleared land in the hinterland
1.2.2. Overfishing and trawling
1.2.3. Destruction of wetlands
1.2.4. Eutrophication
1.2.5. Pollution
1.2.6. Dams.
1.2.7. Dykes for flood protection.
1.2.8. Human health risks.
1.3. The future of estuaries and the quality of life of the human population living on its shores
1.4. The solution
1.5. Ecohydrology science: the structure of this book.
2. Estuarine water circulation
2.1. The average residence time
2.2. The age of water
2.3. Exposure time vs. residence time
2.4. Vertical mixing and stratification
2.5. Lateral stratification, trapping, and shear
2.6. The importance of the bathymetry on flushing
2.7. The importance of flows near the river mouth on flushing
2.8 The special case of lagoons
3. Estuarine sediment dynamics
3.1. Geomorphological time scales
3.2. Sediment dynamics
3.2.1. The distinction between mud, silt and sand
3.2.2. Sand dynamics
3.2.3. Mud dynamics
3.2.4. Engineering implications
3.2.5. Biological implications
3.3. Net sediment budgets
3.3.1. The age of estuaries
3.3.2. Net erosion or progradation
3.3.3. Formation of mud flats
3.3.4. Formation of tidal wetlands by the vegetation colonizing bare intertidal areas
3.4. The size of the mouth
4. Tidal wetlands
4.1. Description
4.2. Hydrodynamics
4.3. Wave attenuation by wetland vegetation
4.4. Ecological processes within a tidal wetland
4.4.1. Mangroves
4.4.2. Saltmarshes
4.4.3. Supratidal mud flats
4.5. Enhancement of estuarine fisheries productivity by ouwelling from tidal wetlands
4.6. Groundwater
4.6.1. Mangroves
4.6.2. Saltmarshes
4.7. Physics-biology links
5. Estuarine food webs
5.1. Simple food webs in clear waters
5.1.1. Definitions
5.1.2. Clear waters
5.2. The key role of detritus
5.3. The role of groundwater
5.4. Link to pelagic food web (fisheries)
5.5. Estuarine ecology
5.6. Over-stressed ecosystems
5.7. Seagrass and coral reefs
6. Ecohydrology models
6.1. Engineering models
6.2. Ecosystem models
6.2.1. Predator-prey relationship
6.2.2. Estuarine ecosystem models
6.2.3. An estuarine ecohydrology model
6.3. Coral reef ecohydrology model
7. Ecohydrology solutions
7.1. Freshwater
7.2. Estuaries
7.3. Coastal waters
7.4. Managing human health threats
7.5. Habitat creation
7.5.1. Saltmarshes
7.5.2. Mangroves
7.5.3. Seagrass
7.5.4. Coral reefs
7.5.5. Sediment capping
7.6. Protection against natural hazards
7.7. A future for estuaries and coastal waters?
8. References
9. Index
Details
- No. of pages:
- 168
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Elsevier Science 2007
- Published:
- 1st August 2007
- Imprint:
- Elsevier Science
- Hardcover ISBN:
- 9780444530660
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780080550350
About the Authors

Eric Wolanski
Professor Eric Wolanski is an estuarine oceanographer at James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. His research interests range from the oceanography of coral reefs, mangroves, and muddy estuaries, to the interaction between physical and biological processes determining ecosystem health in tropical waters. He has 370 publications and reports. Eric is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Institution of Engineers Australia (ret.), and l’Acade´mie Royale des Sciences d’Outre-Mer. He was awarded an Australian Centenary medal, a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the Catholic University of Louvain and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Estuarine & Coastal Sciences Association. Eric is an editor-in-chief of Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Wetlands Ecology and Management, and the Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science.
Eric is a member of the editorial board of Journal of Coastal Research, Journal of Marine Systems, Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology, and Continental Shelf Research. He is a member of the Scientific and Policy Committee of the Japan-based International Center for Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas, a Visiting Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a member of the College of Experts of the Australian Research Council.
Affiliations and Expertise
James Cook University & Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Eric Wolanski
Professor Eric Wolanski is an estuarine oceanographer at James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. His research interests range from the oceanography of coral reefs, mangroves, and muddy estuaries, to the interaction between physical and biological processes determining ecosystem health in tropical waters. He has 370 publications and reports. Eric is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Institution of Engineers Australia (ret.), and l’Acade´mie Royale des Sciences d’Outre-Mer. He was awarded an Australian Centenary medal, a Doctorate Honoris Causa by the Catholic University of Louvain and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Estuarine & Coastal Sciences Association. Eric is an editor-in-chief of Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Wetlands Ecology and Management, and the Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science.
Eric is a member of the editorial board of Journal of Coastal Research, Journal of Marine Systems, Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology, and Continental Shelf Research. He is a member of the Scientific and Policy Committee of the Japan-based International Center for Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas, a Visiting Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a member of the College of Experts of the Australian Research Council.
Affiliations and Expertise
James Cook University & Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Reviews
"...a brilliant synthesis of the state of the art in estuarine ecohydrology ... it opens the perspective for new solutions toward achieving restoration and sustainable development of habitats most intensively used by humanity."
--Maciej Zalewski, Director, UNESCO's European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology
"Wolanski brings vast experience in estuarine and coastal seas research in Oceania and its neighboring regions. The book makes a most valuable contribution to our international activities for coastal seas environments."
--Masahiko Inatsugi, Adviser on External Relations, International Center for the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas
"This book provides a deep understanding of the dynamical processes through an ecohydrological approach acting on estuaries."
--Dr. Gerardo M. E. Perillo, Co-Chair SCOR-LOICZ Working Group 122
"LOICZ, at the beginning of its second decade with the mandate to look at coastal change in a truly interdisciplinary fashion strongly endorses the work reflected in 'Estuarine Ecohydrology'. The author provides a substantial contribution to the LOICZ objective, to: provide the knowledge, understanding and prediction needed to allow coastal communities to assess, anticipate and respond to the interaction of global change and local pressure which determine coastal change. It is particularly valuable because its perspectives are truly global in nature, encompassing different views from the developed world as well as from developing economies."
--Dr. Hartwig Kremer, CEO LOICZ IPO.
"This book is particularly timely and highly relevant to the needs of many coastal nations. The author clearly achieves his aim to 'provide clear, specialist knowledge to enable an interaction between aquatic, marine and wetlands biologists, geologists, geomorphologists, chemists, modellers and ecologists'. It is really an interesting book on a very relevant topic."
--Joe Baker, FTSE
"Indeed, Eric Wolanski has brought together a disparate set of disciplines in a way that makes remarkable good sense: ecohydrology. . . His book will remain close by on my desk!" -Brian R. Allanson, Rhodes University, South Africa in Journal of Coastal Research
Ratings and Reviews
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