Determination of the Ecological Consequences of Dredged Material Emplacement (DECODE)

DECODE, or the Determination of the Ecological Consequences of Dredged-material Emplacement, is an umbrella group established in November 2000. The main aim is to help harmonise efforts and increase information transfer between the many beneficial use-related research projects coming on-stream within the UK at present. Specifically, our interests lie in the utilisation of fine-grained dredged material for environmental enhancement, habitat sustainability and flood defence (see beneficial use section). The core of DECODE is a group of experts (see DECODE Members) in many fields from marine ecological research to environmental regulation. This website serves two primary objectives:

1. To act as an aid to improve and facilitate the communication and transfer of information between DECODE members, 
2. To inform interested parties (marina operators, coastal scientists, regulators) of beneficial use schemes, particularly of their potential environmental benefits. Furthermore, the relevant links and useful references presented within this site enables more information on dredging and the ecology of the benthos to be acquired.