Williams, H.F.L. and Liu, K.-b., 2021. Testing XRF discrimination of marine and terrestrial flood deposits in southeastern Texas coastal marshes. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1081–1087. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

This study tests the ability of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis to discriminate between storm-generated marine and terrestrial sediment beds in coastal wetlands. Cluster analysis was applied to the elemental compositions of a sediment core and a monolith collected from McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Texas. The core contains washover sediment beds previously attributed to hurricanes Ike, Rita, Carla, and Audrey. The monolith contains a terrestrial flood deposit attributed to Hurricane Harvey and a washover sediment bed attributed to Hurricane Ike. Clustering correctly distinguished between washover, flood, and marsh deposits. This level of discrimination was not achieved by previous studies based on loss-on-ignition and microfossil analyses because sediment from these different sources can have similar moisture, organic, carbonate, texture, and microfossil characteristics. Cluster analysis places every centimeter of a sediment core into a cluster, providing a more precise means of evaluating the relative contributions of marine and terrestrial sources. In the study area, for example, cluster analysis suggests that 50.5% of coastal marsh sediment was derived from marine sources. The XRF technique used in this study is a promising tool for discrimination of marine and terrestrial sediment sources. Further research is warranted to apply this technique in other coastal environments subject to marine and terrestrial sediment inputs.

Teixeira, S.G.; Bandeira, I.C.N., and Dantas, M.E., 2021. Shoreline variation and identification of local erosion geoindicators on the Brazilian Amazon coast. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1088–1098. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

An analysis was conducted of the change in the shoreline in the northern part of Pará (Amazonian coast, Brazil) over a medium-term period. The analysis of the variation of the shoreline was carried out by tracing the spring high tide level in LANDSAT images from 1988 to 2019. With this tracing, it was possible to verify the behavior of the processes of erosion and accretion in the different morphological units (mangroves, beaches, cliffs, and rocky shores). The results show that changes in the shoreline occurred differently in the four morphological units, both in spatial and temporal scales. Regionally, the northern coast of Pará showed a trend of stability between losses and gains in areas, but with a slight predominance of the accretion process. The mangroves and beaches showed periods of alternation of predominance between the processes, while in the stretches with cliffs, the smallest areas of retreat were detected. The stretches of shoreline with a rocky shore remained stable throughout the study period. The study allowed the identification of local geoindicators for diagnosis and identification of the erosion process in coastal macrotidal regions. These results can assist in the identification of areas at risk of coastal erosion, as well as in coastal management in Pará State and related areas.

Amos, C.L.; Kassem, H.; Bergamasco, A.; Sutherland, T.F., and Cloutier, D., 2021. The mass settling flux of suspended particulate matter in Venice Lagoon, Italy. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1099–1116. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

A multidisciplinary study of the stability of the tidal flats of Venice Lagoon has provided field and laboratory data on the factors influencing the mass settling rates of material in suspension. This work was performed using two in situ benthic flumes (Sea Carousel and Mini Flume) in association with a wide range of physical and biological measurements undertaken during the summer of 1998 and the subsequent winter. Also, controlled experiments on erosion/sedimentation of prepared beds were carried out using Lab Carousel, a laboratory equivalent of Sea Carousel. Particle size and mass settling rates were found to be largely independent of suspended sediment concentration but strongly controlled by the antecedent bed shear stresses that led to the suspension. Results between the three flume types differed because of differences in the induced stress history created in each case. Comparable results were obtained by normalizing mass settling rate to the mean friction velocity of the flow during settling, i.e. the Rouse parameter () , and by use of the mean dimensionless particle diameter (D_*). Results fell in line with results on carbonate and silica sands of the inlets of the lagoon. The mean particle diameter (d_f) varied in proportion to the applied shear stress and shear rate (G) suggesting that the suspended particles were eroded aggregates not floccules. The effective density of these aggregates was least (∼16 kgm^–3) at the largest sizes (d_f > 1 × 10^–4 m) and greatest (∼160–1600 kgm^–3) at the smallest sizes (d_f < 1 × 10^–4 m). The lack of an increase in d_f at low shear rates suggests that flocculation was not taking place. The mean deposition threshold (all experiments) was 0.68 Pa, which is less than the mean erosion threshold from these sites (0.78 Pa).

Black, K.P.; Baba, M.; Mathew, J.; Kurian, N.P., and Ilic, A., 2021. Guidelines to prepare India's coast for climate change. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1117–1129. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

India's first coastal protection guidelines for climate-change adaptation are described. The guidelines are holistic, recognizing the links between engineering, economic, physical, legal, social, environmental, and governmental intricacies. Robust protection solutions under climate change for millions of coastal residents may occur only when all these facets are improved within the complex regulatory, budgetary, and practical circumstances in India. Fifty-seven specific guidelines are presented in nine categories ranging from administrative to best-practice coastal protection. An “environmental softness ladder” that ranks coastal protection methods was developed as a scientific tool to guide policy development and project implementation. “Minimum floor level” for safe building was defined for each Indian coastal state using climate-change data produced for the study by Indian and international institutes. Beaches are more stable when the net sediment transport fluxes are close to neutral. “Grand schemes,” which make large-scale changes to the coast rather than continuing with piecemeal localised works, are recommended. With diverse dynamics over a long coastline in India, the 4-year study engaged an exceptionally large number of experts, agencies, government bodies, development partners, and other stakeholders.

Patsch, K.; King, P.; Reineman, D.R.; Jenkins, S.; Steele, C.; Gaston, E., and Anderson, S., 2021. Beach sustainability assessment: The development and utility of an interdisciplinary approach to sandy beach monitoring. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1130–1157. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Sandy beaches are valued for various ecosystem services but are increasingly imperiled by anthropogenic stressors. Sea-level rise (SLR), reductions to sand supply, hardening the position of the coastline, and the prevalence of human development along California's coast combine to reduce the fundamental dynamism critical to the resilience of California's beaches. If California continues with business as usual, many of its beaches will erode and eventually disappear. Coastal jurisdictions in California are planning for SLR. However, these coastal managers lack a standardized regional assessment tool that compiles information on the current and likely future condition of sandy beaches. Without such a tool, these managers have limited ability to analyze the integrated impacts of historic decisions or future alternative management scenarios upon beach morphology, ecological functioning, economics, and social utility. This paper presents a study of the Beach Sustainability Assessment (BSA) decision support tool applied to 17 beaches spanning Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. In addition to scoring and grading geomorphological, ecological functioning, and social utility components, the BSA provides a single, overall grade for each beach. To demonstrate the utility of the BSA, a scenario with 1 m of SLR and a 100-year storm was simulated to assess the changes to the overall grade and component grades. The BSA offers a cost-effective, standardized protocol to monitor the condition of California's sandy beach ecosystems. The metrics support spatial and temporal comparisons on a regional scale, giving coastal managers and stakeholders the ability to assess real trade-offs among management solutions. Current BSA indices indicate that beaches in the Southern California Bight study area are already struggling, with most urban beaches receiving Cs and Ds for ecological functioning. The SLR stressor test indicates that ecological functioning and social utility will continue to decline with increasing sea levels.

Zhao, X.; Wang, X.; Zhao, J., and Zhou, F., 2021. An improved water-land discriminator using laser waveform amplitudes and point cloud elevations of airborne LIDAR. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1158–1172. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Laser waveforms or point clouds of airborne LIDAR are used to distinguish water and land. However, false alarms often occur in coastal areas with complex environments when laser waveforms are used. Elevations of three-dimensional (3D) point clouds can be used to help discriminate ocean and land but fail to identify inland waters. An improved water-land discriminator that uses laser waveform amplitudes and point cloud elevations is proposed in this study. First, 3D point cloud elevations derived using infrared (IR) laser are used as features to conduct ocean-land discrimination with fuzzy c-means clustering. Second, amplitudes of IR laser waveforms are used to identify inland waters from land derived by ocean-land discrimination. The proposed method is applied to data collected using Optech coastal zone mapping and imaging LIDAR (CZMIL). Land boundary derived from digital orthophoto map is used as a reference to evaluate different water-land discriminators. Results showed that consistency of the water-land interface derived using the improved water-land discriminator is higher with the reference interface than that derived by traditional waveform saturation, waveform clustering, and 3D point cloud methods. Overall accuracy of water-land points discriminated via waveform saturation, waveform clustering, 3D point cloud, and improved water-land discriminator is 93.80%, 93.84%, 95.66%, and 99.27%, respectively. High accuracy of the water-land interface and points indicates the effectiveness of the improved water-land discriminator for Optech CZMIL.

Jombodin, T.; Songkai, P.; Wichachucherd, B., and Rodcharoen, E., 2021. The relationship between salinity and benthic fauna diversity and abundance at Songkhla Port, Thailand. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1173–1180. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Benthic fauna plays an important role in marine ecosystems as the primary food for other aquatic animals, and this animal group helps reduce sediment nutrients by filter feeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate and explain the diversity and abundance of the benthic fauna community at the Songkhla port, where both human activities and environmental fluctuations affect this community. Benthic fauna and water samples were collected at 2-month intervals from January to November 2017. The results show that most physical parameters had wide ranges and varied by month. The benthic fauna in the Songkhla lagoon was observed in this study. The results showed a higher number of taxa compared with a previous study. Three phyla, namely, Annelida, Arthropoda, and Mollusca, had 25 taxa recorded in this study. Crustaceans were the most diverse (nine taxa) and abundant (2981 ± 313 ind/m²) group, followed by polychaetes (eight families, 2350 ± 288 ind/m²) and mollusks (eight taxa, 633 ± 200 ind/m²). Barnacles were the dominant group of crustaceans (2153 ± 758 ind/m²), whereas Serpulidae (1864 ± 647 ind/m²) and Mytilidae (447 ± 367 ind/m²) were the dominant families of polychaetes and mollusks, respectively. Cluster analysis showed that the distribution of benthic fauna and physicochemical water quality varied with similar patterns. Clustering gave two groups: for rainy season from November to January and for dry season from May to November. According to canonical correspondence analysis, salinity and transparency were the main environmental factors associated with the distribution pattern of benthic fauna in the area. In conclusion, the activities at the Songkhla port have not yet created problems for marine benthic fauna; instead, seasonal changes appear to drive changes in benthic fauna. However, future construction developments can affect the geographical area, complementing stresses from parameter changes at local scales.

Less, D.F.S.; Ward, N.D.; Richey, J.E., and Da Cunha, A.C., 2021. Seasonal and daily variation of hydrodynamic conditions in the Amazon River Mouth: Influence of discharge and tide on flow velocity. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1181–1192. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Hydrodynamics characteristics control various biogeochemical processes related to the phenomena of transport of particulate materials, biogeochemical components, and greenhouse emissions; however, the hydrodynamic conditions in the North Channel of the Amazon River Mouth is relatively little understood. The seasonal and tidal variability of hydrodynamic characteristics in the North Channel of the Amazon River Mouth were investigated using an acoustic measurement technique. The measurements of discharge (Q), water velocity (U), and water level (h) were performed during a semidiurnal tidal cycle in a 12 km wide transect during four hydrological seasons. The hydrodynamics are mainly controlled by the river discharge, being directly related to the rain pattern with a well-defined time lapse for the Amazon Basin. The amplitude of the tides, the mean discharge, and the velocity of the natural flow presented during high discharge season were 3 m, 12,423 m³ s^–1 and 1.18 m s^–1, respectively. The analyses of tidal effects showed a phase opposition between the water level, river discharge, and water velocity; the water velocity was ∼42% higher during the ebb tide with a duration ∼1 hour and 30 minutes longer than the flood phase. The U and h are inversely proportional (R = –0.72, p < 0.01); significant variations in velocity throughout the tidal cycle are associated with the highest values observed at ebb tide, when the velocity and level of the water are significantly influenced by both diurnal and seasonal components. Thus, the results can contribute to the evaluations of more detailed potential interactions of the advective processes, such as mixing and dilution of passive agents of the natural flow, which are very poorly recorded in the existing literature.

Tawfik, M.; Al-Hashim, M.; El-Sorogy, A.; Alharbi, T., and Wadani, M., 2021. Coastal alluvial fans of the Raghama Formation, Northern East Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1193–1203. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Four Miocene outcrops of the Raghama Formation have been investigated for the first time in NW Saudi Arabia to identify facies types, facies associations, and sequence stratigraphy. These sections have been controlled by fans that flow into the sea from higher altitudes. The fans can be divided into alluvial fans and a braided fluvial environment that pass seaward into lagoons and fringing reefs. The continental deposits of the fan are characterized by the fan apex, which passes downslope into alluvial plains. These alluvial deposits are located beside high hinterlands and contain dwindling gravel pavement and local dunes. The transitional zone between the continental and marine deposits comprises mainly erosional beaches and sheet flood sediments. The fan in the marine environment is regulated by longshore drift and wave action. The fringing reef is located offshore from the fan and close to the shore with no lagoons. The fringing reefs are locally affected by the force of the water rushing down the active streams, as indicated by the occurrence of irregularities, remnants, and gravels in the reef cervices. One third-order depositional sequence is well preserved within the studied sections. This sequence is bounded by unconformities and is controlled by the ratio between accommodation and sediment supply (A/S ratio). Variations in the A/S ratio are related to eustatic sea level, climate, and tectonics related to the collision between the Eurasian and Arabian plates, the latter which is responsible for the uplift of the studied areas and the widening of the Red Sea, leading ultimately to subsidence during the Middle Miocene.

González Rodríguez, S.V.; Valdecantos, V.N.; Diez, J.J.; del Campo, J.M., and Antón, M.M., 2021. Comparing the effects of erosion and accretion along the coast of Cartagena De Indias, Colombia. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1204–1223. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

This research paper is a study of the transformation of the coastal landscape. It is based on the modification of the coastline as the symbolic and dynamic border between the continent and the ocean. The methodology is a comparison of two cartographic maps from different time periods. The first map is from the General Archive of the Colombian Nation published in 1822, and the second is the result of an assembled image based on aerial photographs obtained with Google Earth during 2018. The procedure is divided into three stages. In the first stage, the maps were georeferenced using QGis and then vectorized using the design software AutoCAD. In the second stage, a superimposition was made to identify the changes in the coastline. Finally, the differences in areas were calculated and quantified by grouping them as appropriate in accretion or erosion. The obtained results suggest that the erosion in Cartagena de Indias during the evaluated period is higher with respect to the area of accretion obtained. A discussion comparing these results with different studies previously performed was had. It was concluded that Cartagena de Indias lost land, where its majority corresponds to mangroves and coral reefs.

Whitley, A.E.; Figlus, J.; Valsamidis, A., and Reeve, D.E., 2021. One-line modeling of mega-nourishment evolution. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1224–1234. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

As many coastal areas of the world suffer from chronic erosion, innovative solutions beyond traditional local nourishment must be explored. One such solution is the implementation of mega-nourishments (MNs), where a large sediment volume is deposited in a single location and redistributed via natural processes, thereby feeding adjacent beaches. Robust numerical modeling methods are needed to evaluate potential MN sites at coastal locations around the world. Two one-line numerical modeling approaches of MN evolution are presented using the Coastline Evolution Model (CEM) and GENESIS + Cascade (GenCade). Both models are parameterized for the Sand Motor (SM) that has been constructed on the Dutch coast to explore the feasibility of the MN approach. Here, a variety of K coefficients in the Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) sediment transport equation are tested since traditionally calibrated and used values may not apply for MN features. Both models are found capable of reproducing the shoreline morphological patterns observed at the SM over the first 3.5 years. GenCade shows a low difference between measured and modeled coastline position overall, showing accurate predictions of absolute shoreline position. CEM is able to capture feature tip migration due to its wave shadowing algorithm. The best results from both models can be obtained for higher K values than those commonly suggested in the literature. Given the size of a mega-nourishment relative to traditional nourishments, it is likely that a higher-than-usual K value may be a better fit when simulating mega-nourishments in a one-line model.

Eduardo, L.M.; Carvalho, A.M.; Lima, S.B.; Claudino-Sales, V.; Costa Gastão, F.G.; Castelo Branco, J.L., and Souza Pinheiro, L., 2021. Using direct and indirect methods to assess the influence of high-energy waves over beach sedimentary balance (Brazilian Northeastern region). Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1235–1246. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Because of the high dynamicity of atmospheric and oceanographic variables in coastal processes, local sedimentary balance is a matter of great interest for Integrated Coastal Zone Management. The diversity of environmental factors associated with the history of anthropic interventions, in addition to detailed topographic changes related to storm surge events, is assessed in this research for a stretch of the northeastern Brazilian coast. For this purpose, an association of conventional and improved digital methods was applied for data acquisition and processing. Remote sensing techniques with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), three-dimensional modeling, and sedimentary analysis were performed, as well as detailed monitoring of meteorological and oceanographic variables with in situ sources and environmental modeling. The results of 1-year monitoring revealed a sedimentary balance with different variations in response to high-energy events associated with extratropical cyclones in the North Atlantic. The sedimentary balance showed an erosional rate of 25.5%, reflected in a 17.4% diminution in average topographic level of the area. Beach erosion was correlated to long period waves and great variability of wave types. Positive volumetric changes were correlated to mild weather environmental conditions. Swell waves presented a significant role in both beach erosion and following consequential topographic recovery. There was an asymmetric susceptibility to volume losses in different beach sectors.

Freitas, A.S.; Aguiar, V.M.C., and Baptista Neto, J.A., 2021. Modern dinoflagellate cyst abundance and trace metals as biomonitoring tools in a tropical bay in Brazil. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1247–1259. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

The spatial distribution of the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages in 11 surface sediment samples collected in Guanabara Bay embayments and associated trace metals revealed the applicability of dinocysts as bioindicators of environmental conditions in estuarine systems. The surface sediment samples presented coarse to fine granulometry. The dinoflagellate cyst analysis followed the standard methodology through the elimination of carbonates and silica. Trace metals were extracted by the evaluation of 1 g of sediment plus a mixture of HNO₃ and HCl in a microwave digestion system. Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages were dominated by Operculodinium centrocarpum, Spiniferites spp., and Lingulodinium machaerophorum. Trace metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Ni) showed variations at the different sampling points. The values obtained were Cu (6.7–82.8 mg kg^–1), Zn (29.5–355.4 mg kg^–1), Pb (18.3–86.2 mg kg^–1), Cr (5.1–196.2 mg kg^–1), and Ni (19.6–286.0 mg kg^–1). Several samples showed high pseudototal concentrations of trace metals, which were above the natural concentrations found in nature. Statistical analysis showed a strong correlation between dinocysts species and some trace metals. Lingulodinium machaerophorum showed a high correlation with 4/5 analysed trace metals and is a eutrophication-sensitive species. However, Brigantedinium sp. presented a positive correlation with all trace metals analysed. The high frequency of L. machaerophorum cysts in all analysed samples associated with several trace metals is indicative of environmental eutrophication. The high availability of trace metals in the surface sediments of Guanabara Bay may be related to the untreated industrial wastes that are dumped directly into the bay.

Yan, D.; Jiang, R.; Xie, J.; Zhu, J.; Liang, J., and Wang, Y., 2021. A multivariate and multistage streamflow prediction model based on signal decomposition techniques with deep learning. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1260–1270. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Accurate streamflow forecast plays an important role in the flood control operation of reservoir and water resource management, and how to build a prediction model with high accuracy is a research hotspot. In order to improve the prediction accuracy, this paper establishes a multivariate and multistage streamflow prediction model based on the combination of mode decomposition and deep learning models, including the variational mode decomposition (VMD), improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMD), convolutional neural network (CNN), and long short-term memory (LSTM). Taking the Wei River Basin (WRB) of China as an example, streamflow in six hydrometric stations from the main stream of the WRB is used to validate the model. The results show that the proposed model have good prediction skills, and the prediction results of multistage models are better than single-stage models; however, the most complex models do not have the best results. The VMD also preformed better prediction skills than ICEEMD, and the optimal model was VCL (VMD-CNN-LSTM). The root-mean-square error, peak percentage of threshold statistic, and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient of VCL at Huaxian station are 43.82 m³/s, 10.02%, and 0.94, respectively. The models proposed in this paper are suitable for streamflow forecasting, which provide reference for streamflow forecasting and sustainable watershed management.

Lucrezi, S., 2021. Remote public engagement in coastal citizen science: A systematic scoping review. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1271–1287. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Coastal monitoring and management can be enhanced by citizen science (CS), especially because Information and Communications Technology (ICT) enables remote public engagement in CS. To date, this type of engagement would benefit from a thorough investigation to highlight its supportive role to coastal CS, identify its unique challenges, and propose solutions and research avenues to sustain its development. A systematic scoping review and qualitative analysis of scientific papers (N = 53) described the state of the art in remote public engagement in coastal CS. The analysis revealed unique advantages of remote engagement in coastal CS, including flexibility, social inclusivity, and organised communication management. Challenges, mainly associated with technology, could be solved by simplifying interfaces to streamline communication and participation in CS. The review identified research gaps and confirmed the potentially positive contribution of remote engagement in coastal CS, which could enhance coastal monitoring, management, public participation, and stewardship.

Zieg, J. and Zawada, D.G., 2021. Improving ESRI ArcGIS performance of coastal and seafloor analyses with the Python multiprocessing module. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1288–1293. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Coastal research frequently involves the use of a GIS to analyze large areas for changes in response to major weather events, human action, and other factors. The GIS workflows used to conduct these analyses can be complex and sometimes require multiple days to complete. Long runtimes often exist even on modern high-powered workstations if the GIS software does not use parallel computing techniques, which prevents it from fully utilizing the capabilities of multicore processors. If a GIS application supports a programming interface that allows geoprocessing tools to be called from an external program, then GIS workflows can use parallel functionality embedded in that programming language to divide the load of a large workflow among multiple child processes. In ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro, this technique can be implemented by using the Python programming interface and the multiprocessing module in Python to run geoprocessing tools in child processes. This method was used in the Seafloor Elevation Change Analysis Tool (SECAT), a Python script written for ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro that calculates changes in seafloor elevation over time using two different digital elevation models. Running SECAT with between one and eight child processes on two different datasets improved execution times by at least a factor of 2.4. These results demonstrate that using the Python multiprocessing module can significantly accelerate a variety of time-consuming workflows.

Plante, C.J. and Cooper, C., 2021. A new dyed-plug method for measuring short-term erosion and deposition in coastal environments. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(6), 1294–1298. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

A new, easy-to-use method to measure short-term net erosion/deposition and maximum erosion in intertidal and subtidal areas is described. The method uses dyed-sediment plugs inserted vertically into the substratum that are later resampled by a corer and read to determine plug length and depth below the sediment surface. The precision of the method was determined by repeated measurements on an intertidal sandbar, and erosion/deposition over multiple tidal cycles was compared to the erosion-pin method. Precision (95% confidence interval) was about ±2 mm, and net and maximum erosion were indistinguishable from that estimated using erosion pins. With modifications, the method also performed well in subtidal areas and in muddy sediment. The dyed-plug method has advantages over erosion pins, and various other methods used to measure sediment elevation change, for particular uses, such as in high-energy environments, subtidal waters, and sampling designs that require high replication or broad spatial coverage.