Three Years Changes in the Sediment Quality and Benthic Fauna in the Artificial Tidal Flat and Sea Grass Bed Constructed in AGO Bay with Use of Muddy Dredged Sediment.

Abstract

The technology for constructing artificial tidal flat which is enhancing the biological productivity in relatively oligotrophic tidal flat ecosystem by controlling the sediment nutrient for the benthos by using dredged sediment has been developed in AGO bay. The two types of experimental tidal flat were constructed (Experimental tidal flat 1: 3000m², Experimental tidal flat 2: 4200m²). And Zostera marina bed was planted in front of the experimental tidal flat 1, 2. Then these sediment qualities and benthos habitat were monitored every season for three years. After construction, It is clear that the abundance andspecies number of benthos in the artificial tidal flat were increased more than 3-4 times before construction. And more in Zostera bed, they were also increasedmore than 10 times without Zostera bed.