Observations of mixing and transport on a steep beach

Surfzone mixing and transport on a sandy, steep (∼1/8 slope), reflective beach at Carmel River State Beach, California, are described for a range of wave and alongshore flow conditions. Depth-limited wave breaking occurred close to the shore due to the steepness of the beach, creating a narrow surf/swash zone (∼10 m wide). Fluorescent...

Mechanisms of cross-shore transport and spatial variability of phytoplankton on a rip-channeled beach

We investigated whether cross-shore distributions of coastal phytoplankton to the surf zone are controlled by hydrodynamics and their biological characteristics. Data from a rip-channeled beach indicate that concentrations of phytoplankton are higher in the surf zone than offshore. To examine how phytoplankton is transported toward the shore,...

Planktonic subsidies to surf-zone and intertidal communities

Plankton are transported onshore, providing subsidies of food and new recruits to surf-zone and intertidal communities. The transport of plankton to the surf zone is influenced by wind, wave, and tidal forcing, and whether they enter the surf zone depends on alongshore variation in surf-zone hydrodynamics caused by the interaction of breaking...

Numerical simulations of onshore transport of larvae and detritus to a steep pocket beach

Larvae of intertidal invertebrates need to cross the surf zone to settle in their adult habitat. Onshore transport of invertebrate larvae and detritus at a steep beach was simulated with a biophysical larval tracking model. Hydrodynamic model calculations were performed for 24 h after a 24 h spin-up stage with bathymetry and averaged wave...