Study provides new quantitative insights on shoreline erosion due to boat wakes in estuarine settings of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

Dr. Mark Fonseca, Vice President, Science at CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), presented the results of recent research in the Anthropogenic Impacts session of the Benthic Ecology Meeting Society (BEMS) held 4-7 March 2015 in Quebec City, Canada. BEMS is a non-profit organization with a mission to share and promote benthic ecosystems research. Their annual meetings draw hundreds of scientists from around the world, covering topics from Arctic ecosystems to coral reef ecology.

Dr. Fonseca and his colleagues from the NOAA, NOS, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research in Beaufort, North Carolina presented a study of the impact of boat wakes compared to wind waves in the estuarine setting of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW). Their study, funded by the Defense Coastal and Estuarine Research Program, found that boat wakes begin to exceed wind waves at wave heights of 0.45 m, reaching heights up to 0.9 m. The study results forecast that many AIWW locations would experience boat wakes greater than that of the background wind wave conditions. The researchers cautioned that exposure of sheltered estuarine habitats to boat wakes may drive shifts in shoreline composition and stability. Reducing vessel speeds near vulnerable shorelines often adds only minutes to transit time but can prevent acute erosion in sensitive areas.

Dr. Fonseca noted, “Boat wakes are a widely acknowledged but poorly understood source of disturbance in estuarine environments. Our study provides new quantitative insights regarding shoreline erosion in the AIWW, particularly with respect to the influence of boat wakes compared to wind waves. Additionally, we have extended our findings into new modeling capabilities that will allow boat wake forecasting based on Geographic Information Systems [GIS] technologies to guide shoreline management strategies.”

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