Characterizing bedforms in shallow seas as an integrative predictor of seafloor stability and the occurrence of macrozoobenthic species

In soft-bottom marine ecosystems, bedform variation is induced by wind- and tidal-driven hydrodynamics. The resulting megaripples, sand waves sandbanks form a spatially temporally heterogeneous seafloor landscape. strong physical forces imposed the migration of these bedforms are important determinants for occurrence different macrozoobenthic species. Quantifying effect can help in differentiating natural- anthropogenically stressors. However, large-scale mapping seabed morphology at high resolution using multibeam echosounder challenging, costly time-consuming, especially shallow seas, prohibiting wide swaths. Instead, their bathymetry typically studied single-beam transects that interpolated to bathymetric grids with relatively coarse (20 m). this leaves out information on smaller scale (<20 m) be ecologically relevant. Dutch Wadden sea, tidal system, we characterized data first time. We calculated 2-D Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) sub-meter along results full 3-D grid. then validated result relating TRI independently modeled hydrodynamic parameters distribution found successfully integrates bed shear stress wave-driven orbital velocity. addition, good predictor inferred small-scale provide valuable separating relative importance natural dynamics versus anthropogenic disturbances such as dredging bottom trawling activities. discuss repurposing already available way, without need additional equipment or campaigns, yielding novel input decision-making management conservation.