Coastal Benthic Exchange Dynamics

“The benthic boundary layer (BBL) constitutes those portions of sediment and water columns that are affected directly in the distribution of their properties and processes by the presence of the sediment- water interface. ” (Boudreau and Jørgensen 2001) Coastal Benthic Exchange Dynamics The CBED report is the result of an open workshop intended to engage scientists actively involved in the interdisciplinary study of the coastal benthos. Interaction with the seafloor is a controlling characteristic of coastal environ-ments, resulting in unique and intensified processes that define the coastal ecosystem. A comprehensive understanding of the coastal BBL will not come from the study of isolated processes in this complex environment. Rather, the physics, geology, chemistry and biology must be interpreted holistically