CROSS-SHORE SANDBARS RESPONSE TO AN ARTIFICIAL REEF: AN INTERSITE COMPARISON

Abstract

While a clear improvement concerning aesthetic considerations using soft submerged breakwater is undeniable, their design has often focused on wave energy decrease in their lee, overlooking their impact on the dynamics of the nearby nearshore sandbar(s). At the beach of Sete (southeast France), the submerged structure clearly affects the natural net offshore migration cycle (NOM) of the former double barred beach. On the contrary, at Narrowneck (Queensland, Australia), the deployment of a multi-functional submerged structure does not affect the cross-shore sandbar processes. These contrasting behaviors are addressed using high frequency video monitoring. After discussing observations at both field sites, a process-based morphodynamic model provides insight into the morphological sandbars response to artificial reefs.