Project: Assessing the equilibrium sediment flux of Delaware tidal wetland rivers (R/ETE-11)

Principal Investigator: Christopher Sommerfield, University of Delaware

Sea Grant researcher Chris Sommerfield is studying how sediments are carried by rivers, tides, and storm surges and get trapped in coastal marshes — low-lying ecosystems that help to reduce upland flooding during storms, absorb pollutants, and serve as important habitat for wildlife.

This work is particularly relevant in the face of rising sea levels. Coastal marshes build up through a combination of vegetative growth and deposition of muddy sediments supplied by tidal creeks during spring tides and storm surges. If coastal marshes can’t outpace rising sea levels, they and the services they provide could disappear.

“In part, our ability to predict marsh stability rests on a firm understanding of the underlying sediment dynamics,” said Sommerfield. “Data we collect on sediment transport, deposition, and erosion help determine how marshlands could respond to sea-level rise and changes in sediment delivery.”

See below for the full project abstract.