C1: Morphodynamic evolution and biogeochemistry of tidal flat sediments

(J. Rullkötter, J. Köster, Oldenburg)

Tidal flat regions at the land/sea interface are highly dynamic environments that are especially sensitive to anthropogenic activities and climate change. They are affected by terrestrial as well as marine supply of inorganic and organic matter. The sediment bodies of tidal flats are bioreactors for the turnover of organic matter in which anoxic processes govern the system already closely below the surface.
Recent multidisciplinary research has demonstrated that physical, geological, chemical and biological processes in the water column and in the sediment are closely linked to each other. In this session we would like to bring together the cutting-edge results from different fields of work to assess the state-of-the-art knowledge and to identify aspects for future work. We invite presentations investigating tidal flat systems by field studies, laboratory experiments and/or modelling approaches.