Real-time in-situ monitoring of dredge disposal sites

The University of New Hampshire is utilizing 'smart,' remote, telemetering instrumentation for the real-time monitoring of the ocean environment. These techniques are being adapted to the dredged sediment disposal site monitoring problem, in particular, short-term monitoring during the discharge of dredged sediment and the long-term monitoring of the disposal mound after capping. The goal of short-term monitoring is to collect sediment distribution and water property data that facilitate (1) studying the physical processes at the site, (2) monitoring the discharge operation, and (3) designing an efficient cap. To achieve this, the disposal site must be continuously monitored, and the lateral spread of dredged sediment, the amount of sediment deposited at and advected off the site, and the gross mound geometry and growth must all be estimated. The time and position of the dredged sediment during the actual discharge operation are recorded and relayed back to shore in real time as an artifact of this monitoring. This information is available to local and federal authorities charged with policing the disposal site. The goal of long-term monitoring is to assess the dredged sediment mound and cap performance to insure that any contaminated sediment is safely contained.