Evaluation of future estuarine floods in a sea level rise context.

Reliable predictions of future inundation extent within estuaries require a precise evaluation of future extreme sea levels and the application of accurate numerical models that account for the physical processes driving estuarine hydrodynamics. In this study, a methodology that integrates the estimation of local extreme sea levels with high-resolution numerical modeling was applied to assess the future inundation extent in five estuarine systems located on the Portuguese Coast. The main findings obtained were compared with available results from the popular bathtub approach, that disregards the physical processes driving estuarine hydrodynamics and therefore provide imprecise predictions of inundation extent and associated socio-economic impacts.

A habitat suitability model for aquaculture site selection: Ria de Aveiro and Rias Baixas.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing activities worldwide. This strong and rapid development of the sector tends to be reflected in significant environmental impacts and new challenges in the management of the coastal areas. In this context, this work intends to contribute to the sustainability of the sector, by proposing an innovative method to identify preferred locations to ensure sustainable expansion of fish and mussels aquaculture, under optimal hydrodynamic and water quality conditions in Ria de Aveiro (Portugal) and Rias Baixas (Spain).

A modeling study of light extinction due to cohesive sediments in a shallow coastal lagoon under well mixed conditions.

Cohesive sediments play an important ecological role in coastal systems, affecting light penetration in the water column and consequently the local biogeochemical processes. The main aim of this work is to study the water-column light extinction coefficient (k) dependence on cohesive sediment dynamics within Ria de Aveiro lagoon under sea level rise and extreme freshwater discharges events. A coupled estuarine hydrodynamic and transport model is explored, following previous modeling frameworks developed for the Ria de Aveiro.