Monitoring Program Design - Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development - page 315

• Coastal defense—Depending on the local situation, sea defense work is
undertaken using rock armoring, construction of breakwaters, piers and
jetties, or beach replenishment. In most cases these activities affect natural
coastal dynamics and in some cases cause even more serious erosion
problems in neighboring areas. Coastal defense requires monitoring and
modeling activities as part of the planning process and optimizing the
desired results and minimizing negative effects; unfortunately, monitoring
the effects of such activities is often neglected.
• Dredging and dumping of dredged material—Dredging is often under-
taken in lagoons to accommodate navigation and marine facilities as well
as tourism/recreation. Dumping of dredged material is allowed according
to the law of the sea. Decisions on dumping are based on the quality of
the dredged material. Highly polluted material should be deposed of on
land. Chemical-based assessment is generally not sufficient—biological
analysis of the dumping site should be undertaken to determine the bio-
logical fate of the dumped material at the site.
• Sand and gravel extraction—Some lagoons have mineral resources, which
are subject to exploitation. Such exploitation may endanger the dynamics
of the shore if it is undertaken in close vicinity. The mechanics of this
exploitation result in mobility of locally inhabiting species and excessive
turbidity, and adversely affect other species. Monitoring is usually related
to habitat restoration and the possible effects of excess turbidity on marine
plants.
• Beach nourishment—Beaches subjected to erosion are often regularly
replenished with sand, and in some cases, beaches are built where they
naturally would not exist, thus necessitating regular nourishment. Such
intervention in natural dynamics causes adverse effects elsewhere, some-
times increasing the rate of erosion. Monitoring and modeling should be
incorporated into beach nourishment activity.

• Other coastal engineering activities, such as digging new channels, con-

struction of bridges, construction of marinas, laying of pipelines and
power transmission cables, building ports, and refinery terminals, etc.,
may cause serious environmental effects and should be preceded by mon-
itoring of local conditions, environmental impact assessment, and mod-
eling and monitoring of effects.

7.3 MONITORING-RELATED PROGRAMS

7.3.1 M ONITORING G UIDELINES AND Q UALITY

A SSURANCE P ROGRAM

In order to achieve appropriate and comparable results within the monitoring pro-
gram, particularly in international and/or multilaboratory programs, there is a need
for developing a manual for monitoring in which not only the methods and tech-
niques are described but also general and specific guidelines on quality assurance