Ecological Benefits of Contaminated Sediment Remediation

Sediments contaminated with nutrients, metals, organics, and oxygen-demanding substances can be found in freshwater and marine systems throughout the world. Although some of these contaminants occur in elevated concentrations as a result of natural processes, the presence of many results from human activity. Aquatic sediments with elevated levels of contaminants can be found in any low-energy area that is the recipient of water associated with urban, industrial, or agricultural activity. Such low-energy depositional zones can be found in nearshore embayments and river mouth areas and are also likely to be ecologically significant. These nearshore areas frequently represent the most significant spawning and nursery sites for many species of fish, the nesting and feeding areas for most of the aquatic avian fauna, the areas of highest primary and secondary biological productivity, and the areas of greatest human contact.