Hydrodynamics and sedimentary processes in the main drainage channel of a large open coast managed realignment site Jonathan Dale1*, Heidi M. Burgess1, David J. Nash1,2 and Andrew B. Cundy3 1School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK. 2School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa. 3School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre (Southampton), Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK. *Corresponding Author: Jonathan Dale School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Lewes Road, Brighton, UK, BN2 4GJ Email:
[email protected] Published in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Volume 215, pp 100-111, 2018. Authors’ pre-print version Keywords Managed realignment; Hydrodynamics ; Suspended Sediment Concentration; Altimeter; Storms; United Kingdom, West Sussex, Medmerry Managed Realignment Site Abstract Managed Realignment (MR) is becoming increasingly popular with many coastal managers and engineers. Monitoring of MR sites has provided growing evidence that many of the saltmarshes created in these environments have lower biodiversity than naturally formed intertidal marshes, and may not fully deliver the anticipated ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and coastal flood defence. Despite the importance of the sedimentary environment in developing an intertidal morphology suitable for plant establishment and succession, the evolution of the sediment erosion, transportation, deposition and consolidation cycle in newly breached sites is rarely examined. This study evaluates the hydrodynamics and concentration of suspended sediment exported and imported along the main drainage channel within the Medmerry Managed Realignment Site, West Sussex, UK, the largest open coast realignment in Europe (at the time of breaching).