Formulation of a new footprint model for measuring fluxes of biological resuspension

Biological resuspension of sediments from the seafloor occurs when fish and other marine creatures search for food and shelter. In high-energy habitats, waves and currents dominate the resuspension of sediments, however, studies suggest that biological resuspension is the dominant process in areas below the wave action including the deep sea and in low energy zones such as lagoons and other sheltered basins. Biological resuspension is a highly punctuated process both in time and space, generating high concentration sediment plumes that quickly sink and disperse. It is therefore not surprising that despite its potentially large impact, no quantitative data exists regarding its extent and ecological impact in the ocean. To resolve the difficulty in monitoring and quantifying these short-live resuspension events, we develop a model named the footprint model that converts field measurements of horizontal sediment fluxes, into estimates of long-term average fluxes of biological resuspension. Measurements of th...