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A traditional taxonomic approach coupled to a biological traits analysis was conducted in order to provide a new insight into macrobenthic communities associated with subtidal sandy environments. Results suggest that the macro-scale distribution of benthic communities is mainly driven by the migration rate of bedforms (sandbank, barchan dune and transversal dune) which changes the sediment grain size and reduces macrobenthic diversity. A classic scheme of species/traits succession was also observed from less to more physically disturbed areas. Finally, the high frequency of migration events homogenized macrobenthic communities between the troughs to the crest of bedforms. As bedforms areas are targeted for the commissioning of offshore windfarms the information provided by the present paper will be particularly useful to implement the environmental impact assessment required for such activities at sea. • Macrobenthic communities vary with the kind of bedforms because of the discrepancy in the intensity of sediment movements; • Massive recruitment by juveniles change the structural diversity in spring but not the macrobenthic ecosystem functioning; • Frequent sediment movements homogenize the macrobenthic communities between the troughs to the crest of bedforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent completion of a coupled seismic and swath bathymetric survey, conducted across the sand ridge system of the Banc du Four located on the Atlantic continental shelf of Brittany (Mer d’Iroise, France), provided new data for the study of the long term evolution of deep tidal sand ridges. Five seismic units are distinguished within the ridge, separated by pronounced major bounding surfaces. The basal unit is interpreted to be shoreface deposits forming the core of the ridge. It is overlaid by a succession of marine sand dunes fields forming the upper units. Sandwave climbing, which combines progradation and accretion, is the major process controlling the growth of the ridge. The elevation of the preserved dune foresets reaches values of about 20–30 m within the ridge. The foresets indicate a combination of giant dunes characterized by numerous steep (up to 20°) clinoforms corresponding to a high-energy depositional environment. Moreover, the presence of scour pits linked to the 3D geometries of giant dunes allow the growth of bedforms migrating oblique to the orientation of giant dune crest lines. All of the radiocarbon ages of the biogenic surficial deposits of the Banc du Four range from 10,036 to 2748 cal years B.P. and suggest the Banc du Four has grown during the last sea-level rise. The apparent absence of recent surface deposits could be caused by a change in benthic biogenic productivity or the non-conservation of recent deposits. In contrast, the presence of relatively old sands at the top of the ridge could be explained by the reworking and leakage of the lower units that outcrop locally at the seabed across the ridge. Moreover, the long-term evolution of the ridge appears strongly controlled by the morphology of the igneous basement. The multiphase accretion of the ridge is closely linked to the presence of a residual tidal current eddy, consecutive with the progressive flooding of the coastal promontories and straits that structured the igneous basement. Therefore, the Banc du Four should be thought of as a representative example of a large-scale high-energy banner bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A one month field campaign featuring two spring–neap tide cycles and three strong storms has been performed in a mobile dune area located in the central part of the Dover Strait. These dunes are known to move in a complex manner as their migration direction varies in space and time (). In order to gain some insights into the dune motion processes we present an analysis of the spatio-temporal variability of currents in the area emphasizing the relative influence of tides and storms. A total of eight different hydro-meteorological regimes have been distinguished during the experiment duration. The analysis of the currents measurements at five locations in the area shows that the eight hydro-meteorological regimes induce very different current responses at the bottom. The residual tidal currents exhibit a significant spatial variability both in direction and in intensity. A numerical model of tidal currents over the Dover Strait confirms the strong spatio-temporal variability of the residual tidal currents featuring three singular points. Amongst them, a saddle point is located just south of the I-dune at the convergence of opposite direction residual tidal currents. The wind-induced currents are almost uniform in space, their intensity and direction however strongly depends on the wind regime and thus on time. The mean total current feature a spatial pattern which can be tidal of wind-induced currents dominated, or either in balance, depending on the regime considered. At the PERMOD campaign time scale, the total current is dominated by the residual tidal current. These results proved to give valuable insights to explain the complex dynamics of dune motion observed in this area by at short and long time scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sedimentary, isotopic and bulk geochemical proxies measured in sediment samples of five gravity cores collected in the distal part of the Ogooue turbidite system (around 4000 m-depth) were used to develop a conceptual model to describe the accumulation of terrigenous organic matter (OM) during the last 200,000 yrs BP in the eastern part of the Gulf of Guinea. This model takes into account the influence of the different depositional processes (turbiditic vs hemipelagic sedimentation), geomorphological features and sea-level variations. Total organic carbon (TOC) and the stable organic carbon isotopes of the OM (δ 13 C) variability follow the highstand/lowstand (interglacial/glacial) cyclicity with a very low accumulation rate of terrigenous OM during periods of high sea-level and higher accumulation rate during period of low sea-level. A sea-level of 80–120 m below present day seems to favor the transfer of terrigenous sediments to the deep offshore environment through the turbidite system and thanks to the connection of the canyons heads with the river system presently located at the shelf edge at −120 m water depth. In this system, terrigenous OM matter delivered by the river accumulate in the sediments via two main processes. Indeed, a part of the terrigenous OM settles in combination with the finest particles forming hemipelagites, while another part, formed of very well preserved land plant debris, is transported and deposited far offshore with turbidity currents. The proportion of terrigenous OM accumulated due to turbidity currents is important as it can represent more than 70% of the carbon accumulated during sea-level lowstand. Moreover, terrigenous OM seems to preferentially accumulate in the levees and the lobes of the system notably due to the higher frequency of organic-rich turbidites. This study demonstrates that gravity flows, influenced by the sea-level variations, can significantly affect the terrigenous OM budget of the deep offshore Atlantic margins and that channel-levee complexes as well as turbidite lobes can be regarded as good sink for terrestrial organic carbon. These processes should be taken into consideration in the context of source rocks exploration but also for the estimation of the general carbon accumulation in ocean sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Barents Sea is particularly vulnerable to large-scale hydro-climatic changes associated with the polar amplification of climate change. Key oceanographical variables in this region are the seasonal development of sea-ice and the location and strength of physico-chemical gradients in the surface and subsurface water layers induced by the convergence of Arctic- and Atlantic-derived water masses. Remote sensing imagery have highlighted the increasing success of calcifying haptophytes (coccolithophores) in the summer phytoplankton production of the Barents Sea over the last 20 years, as a response to an overall larger contribution of Atlantic waters to surface and sub-surface waters, as well as to enhanced sea-ice melt-induced summer stratification of the photic layer. The present study provides a first thorough description of coccolithophore standing stocks and diversity over the shelf and slope of the western Barents Sea from two sets of surface and water column samples collected during August–September 2014 from northern Norway to southern Svalbard. The abundance and composition of coccolithophore cells and skeletal remains (coccoliths) are discussed in view of the physical–chemical–biological status of the surface waters and water column based on in-situ (temperature, salinity, fluorescence) and shore-based (microscope enumerations, chemotaxonomy) measurements, as well as satellite-derived data (Chl a and particulate inorganic carbon contents). The coccolithophore population is characterized by a low species diversity and the overwhelming dominance of Emiliania huxleyi . Coccolithophores are abundant both within the well stratified, Norwegian coastal water — influenced shallow mixed layer off northern Norway, as well as within well-mixed cool Atlantic water in close vicinity of the Polar Front. Bloom concentrations with standing stocks larger than 4 million cells/l are recorded in the latter area north of 75°N. Our limited set of chemotaxonomic data suggests that coccolithophores contribute substantially (ca. 20% of the total Chl a ) to the summer phytoplankton community which is made essentially of small-sized algal groups. Excluding the bloom area, coccolith calcite accounts for an average of 20% to the bulk particulate inorganic carbon content in the surface waters, and explains to some extent the satellite-derived spatial distribution of this parameter. Deep water living coccolithophore species thriving below the pycnocline as well as populations present in well-mixed cool Atlantic water are rapidly transferred to depth in the form of intact coccospheres down to at least 200 m. High amplitude internal waves which, according to our observations, affect a wide range of water depth up to the lower photic zone, might strengthen the vertical transfer of this sinking population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ionian Sea, due to the presence of two accretionary prisms, the Calabrian Arc and the Mediterranean Ridge, associated with the subduction of the Nubia plate and the Eurasia plate, is the witness of large and catastrophic turbidite events. These events are associated with high magnitude earthquakes and tsunamis. They lead an important gravity-driven sedimentary deposit in the Ionian basin. In this study, we analysed turbidite deposits in order to establish a calendar of the palaeoseismicity and volcaniclastic events from Etna on the Calabrian Arc. Two gravity cores collected in a slope basin on the Calabrian Arc and in the Ionian abyssal plain record more than two hundred turbidites over the last 60,000 years. These turbidites were dated with a multi-proxy approach: radiometric dating, tephrochronology and sapropels. The origin of the turbidites was studied with a sedimentary approach: grain-size, lithology, thin section, and geochemistry of volcanic glass. The results suggest that three triggers are responsible for the deposits of turbidites. There are siliciclastic turbidites triggered by earthquakes and tsunamis waves, and volcaniclastic turbidites triggered by the Etna volcano eruptions or flank collapses. Co-seismic turbidites present different recurrence times depending on the location of the core. On the Calabrian Arc, recurrence times vary between 450 and 1000 years according to the periods in time. On the abyssal plain, recurrence times are shorter and more regular: around every 240 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale coastal bathymetry is paramount to understand natural and human-induced coastal behaviour and plays a vital role in coastal research and governance. Here, we use a recently developed algorithm, S2Shores (Satellite to Shores), to invert coastal bathymetry from wave kinematics, based on the linear dispersion relation. Wave numbers and celerity are extracted from optical Sentinel-2 imagery, by exploiting the small temporal offset between the image bands of its Multi-Spectral Instrument. Inverted depths are output at 200 m resolution, and individual depth points are merged to create a composite bathymetry using a weighted average of images from 10 different dates. The resulting bathymetry mosaic spans 4000 km along the West African coast. S2Shores is able to detect depths up to 35 m, depending on mean incident wave conditions and cloud cover, which varies by location. Underwater features are well reproduced by S2Shores, such as flow channels in Guinea, the St. Ann's Shoal in Sierra Leone, and ebb delta lobes at several outlets along the Niger River Delta. S2Shores results match well (r 2 = 0.76, RMSE = 4.9 m) with a bathymetry survey along the Senegalese coast. As a difference with traditional satellite-derived bathymetry methods based on water colour, a wave-based approach allows estimations in turbid areas and relatively deep waters, which suggest that the two approaches are complementary and should be used in combination to cover coastal environments in their diversity. The new possibility offered by this regional coastal atlas opens the door to increased research and planning capabilities and sets an example that can be applied to the rest of the world. • S2Shores SDB algorithm used to estimate bathymetry from Sentinel-2 MSI image bands. • Depth estimates spanning 4000 km along the West African coast compared to GEBCO. • Maximum detecable depth of 35 m is 2.5 times deeper than colour-based SDB methods. • Shallow features are well reproduced, such as underwater dunes and ebb delta lobes. • S2Shores opens the door to increased research and planning capabilities in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the seabed morphodynamics of the south Aquitaine inner shelf in the area known as “La Salie” (150 km 2 , Atlantic ocean, west coast of France), through a descriptive and comparative analysis (time lapse of 29 years) of geophysical and sedimentological datasets. At a water depth of 24–50 m, four orders of sedimentary body types were observed at different scales. The first order are large cross-shore “morphological ridges,” corresponding with the properties of very large sorted bedforms. The second order consisted in patchy sorted bedforms, composed of alternately medium to fine sand patches (0.5–2 m in thickness), cut by smaller, elongated coarse sediment depressions. In particular, the data from the sub-bottom profiler revealed that sand patches predominantly overlayed the coarse-grained blankets on the eastern (shoreward) extremities, while coarse-grained blanket wedges were found in front of the sand patches (southwestward) or locally overlying them on the southwestern extremities. The third order of bedforms involved groups of dune-like features (fine/medium sand), lying in wide areas of coarse-grained sediment. Finally, in the fouth order, the entire inner shelf was covered with wave-generated ripples, oriented N15°, that were larger where sediments were coarse (wavelengths of 2.2 m) than where sediments were fine (wavelengths of 0.3 m). Over the past 29 years, at a large scale of observation, patchy sorted bedforms have remained remarkably persistent, as has their overall appearance. However, at a smaller scale, weak but constant movements were observed. The coarse depressions have become elongated at their extremities (by a maximum of 300 m over 15 years), and certain coarse/fine sediment boundaries have moved toward the northeast and southeast (by a maximum of 75 m over 12 years). The general movement has been shoreward as has the migration of third-order submarine dune-like features. The persistence of sorted bedforms thus appears to be the consequence of sediment sorting feedback and recurrent storm events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, the Capbreton canyon head, just off the coast, is investigated using high-resolution multibeam bathymetry datasets, sediment samples and numerical modeling. The HR bathymetry analysis reveals a morphological connection between the longshore trough and the head of the canyon. The analysis of recent sediment samples shows a clear correlation between the sediment of the canyon head and that of the nearshore. Hydrodynamic modeling (a coupled wave-flow model) shows that for high-energy waves, the rotational nature of surf-zone circulation reverses and wave-induced currents have the potential to transport large quantities of nearshore sands toward the canyon head. All these arguments support the assumption that the canyon head captures a part of the sand transported by longshore drift. Over the 15years of observation (1998–2013), time-lapse bathymetry shows that the floor of the canyon head and one lateral gully network experienced significant morphological reworking. In terms of hazards, despite this strong activity, the position of the canyon head and the profile of its longitudinal slope remained stable and appear as a comforting factor. However, the activity of unusual lateral erosions needs to be monitored. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to improve the knowledge of spatio-temporal variability of very large to giant dunes in deep tide dominated environment. Their growth mechanisms and dynamic evolution still remain in debate and constitute a significant scientific challenge in regard to difficulties to achieve accurate measures of migrations. This motivated the realisation of three recent swath bathymetry surveys across the wide dune field of the Banc du Four located offshore the western Brittany. The Banc du Four field is composed of more than 500 large dunes exhibiting a great diversity of morphologies ranging from 2D to 3D shapes and reaching the largest sizes of such sedimentary structure ever described (wavelength over 1000m and height over 30m). The analysis of the entire ensemble of dune parameters offers the opportunity to discuss the relative influence of forcings and the validity of the equations predicting the bedform geometry in shallow waters. Our results show a good height-spacing power law correlation but do not strike the usual statistical regression observed in previous studies. The steeper positive slope of the equation and the outstanding values of the height parameter reveal the complexity of local hydrodynamic regime, interacting with bed load transport and sediment supply. No clear relationship has been observed between asymmetry and size parameters. Water depth cannot be considered as a major factor controlling the size of dunes. Otherwise, the vertical sedimentary variation suggests the action of storm waves on dune crests and the horizontal migration rates of dunes in the eastern field of the Banc du Four were found to range from 3 to 20m·yr−1. Such velocities were only mentioned before by Van Landeghem et al. (2012) on deep continental shelves (>70m deep) and attest of the still present morphodynamical equilibrium of the large dunes. Furthermore, as was previously found for similar dunes in the Irish Sea, no power–law relationship between dune migration rates and dune size can be deduced. Similarly, no strong correlation is established between migration rates and the degree of asymmetry. Nevertheless, the dune asymmetry can be used to predict the migration direction. As for dimension parameters, the evolution asymmetry depends on the study area and migration rates. More precisely, when the crest lines of dunes form straight lines and their migration rates remain below 8–10m·yr−1, the degree of dune asymmetry increases with the migration rate. This trend is reversed for the dunes with higher migration velocities and crests which are sinuous. These results relativize the migratory predictions based on punctual geometrical observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to define the nature and distribution of the organic matter (OM) preserved in the modern Ogooué deep sea turbidite system (Gabon), bulk geochemical techniques (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, elemental and isotopic analyses) and palynofacies were applied to three piston cores collected in the Cape Lopez Canyon and lobe and on the continental slope, north of the canyon. The hemipelagic sedimentation in the study area is characterized by high accumulations of well-preserved OM (∼2–3 wt. TOC %). Bulk geochemical and palynofacies analysis indicate both a marine and terrestrial origin of the OM. Contribution of the marine source is higher on the slope than in the canyon and lobe. OM accumulation in turbidites is strongly controlled by the combined influence of the Cape Lopez Canyon and littoral drift. In the canyon and lobe, turbidites show generally low TOC content (0.5 wt. %) and OM is oxidized. The origin of the OM is interpreted as both marine and terrestrial, with a higher contribution of continental source versus marine source. The low TOC contents are due to the large siliciclastic fraction transported by the littoral drift and diverted in the Cape Lopez Canyon during high energy processes (e.g. storms) which tend to dilute the OM in the turbidites. Transport by long-shore currents and/or turbiditic flows leads to oxidation of the OM. On the continental slope located north of the Cape Lopez Canyon, large amounts of OM are deposited in turbidites (up to 14 wt. %). The OM is predominantly derived from terrestrial land plants and has not been subjected to intense oxidation. These deposits are characterized by high hydrocarbon potential (up to 27 kg HC/t rock), indicating a good potential as gas-prone source rock. Because Cape Lopez Canyon captures a significant part of the sediment transported by the littoral drift, the siliciclastic sedimentary flux is reduced north of the canyon; OM is thus concentrated in the turbidites. Variation in TOC content within turbidite laminae can be explained by the burst and sweep deposition process affecting the boundary layer of the turbulent flow. This study confirms that gravity flows play a preponderant role in the accumulation and preservation of OM in deep water and that deep sea turbidite systems could be regarded as an environment where organic sedimentation occurs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]