Members

At present, DECODE consists of 8 organisations, each with their own field of expertise with regards to the beneficial use of maintenance dredged material. Presented here is a list of the current members, together with a list of current activities with respect to beneficial use projects. At the bottom of the page is a summary table with a list of addresses of organisations and names with hyper-links to contacts. It is not intended that DECODE involvement should be restricted to these organisations, future additions may come on-stream if applicable. If you feel you have sufficient relevant involvement with respect to the current DECODE framework, please do not hesitate to contact us stefan.bolam@cefas.co.uk

Cefas (DECODE co-ordinators), 5 independent links within DECODE framework

1. Implications of the nature and quality of dredged material for its beneficial placement in the coastal environment (H. Rees, S. Bolam). This 4-year, Defra funded project aims to investigate the invertebrate recovery following the disposal of fine-grained maintenance dredged material to the coastal zone. A large part of this will involve investigating the recovery of a number of beneficial use schemes, along with manipulation experiments to determine how recovery is affected by dredged material properties (particle size, organic content). The ultimate goal of this project, in conjunction with subcontracted work (see below), is to contribute to a wider appraisal of the costs and benefits of the activity of dredged material relocation and hence a new decision-making framework for the licensing process under the Food and Environment Protection Act (FEPA), 1985.  
2. Risk assessment of contaminant mixtures in the context of beneficial use (M. Waldock, J. Reed). This 3-year, Defra-funded project aims to improve risk assessment of the impact of low levels of contaminants in highly sensitive environments and, in doing so, will improve the current understanding of the fate and effects of mixtures of contaminants in the context of beneficial use of dredged material.   
3. Ecosystem consequences of seabed disturbances (S. Malcolm, R. Parker). A 4-year, Defra-funded project that aims to establish the significance of anthropogenic disturbance (dredging, fishing and construction) relative to natural disturbance with respect to consequences for the biogeochemical function of the seabed ecosystem, for the bio-availability of toxic anthropogenically-derived contaminants and for the redistribution of natural toxicants produced by algal species. 
4. Monitoring of licensed dredged material disposal sites (H. Rees). Conducting a programme of field monitoring of the conditions at and around dredged material disposal sites. The aims of this monitoring are to determine that environmental conditions at newly designated sites are suitable for the commencement of disposal activities and, in the case of established sites, to ensure that predictions concerning limitations of effects continue to be met, and that disposal operations conform with licence conditions. 
5. Provision of scientific advice to Defra (R. Waldock). Defra is the authority responsible for issuing licences under FEPA. Cefas provide Defra with scientific advice on the environmental implications of the disposal of dredged material (for sea disposal and beneficial placements), and the placement of material below mean high water for construction purposes.

The University of Hull

Work subcontracted under part of (i) above (M. Elliot, E. Mitchell). This involves an investigation into the effect of various aspects of beneficial placement of dredged material, e.g., rate of deposition, effect of tidal height, on invertebrate recovery. Work will also include assessing the importance of early successional communities following dredged material placement on sediment stability/erodibility.

Plymouth Marine Laboratory

1. Work subcontracted under part (i) above (P. Somerfield). Involvement in beneficial-use schemes is primarily to produce an overview of the environmental effects of ongoing and new beneficial-use and sea-disposal schemes, largely through meta-analysis of existing monitoring data, and to investigate the suitability of novel monitoring approaches and data-analytical methods. 
2. Impact of biota and dredged material on intertidal sediment dynamics (J. Widdows). This 2.3 year Defra-funded research project intends to quantify the impact of biota and dredged material on intertidal sediment dynamics (erosion, transport and deposition). This information will provide improved understanding and forecasting of the potential environmental benefits derived from the placement of fine-grained dredged material on the intertidal zone.

HR Wallingford

Monitoring of the Beneficial Use schemes of the EA's Sustainable Flood Defence Initiative (A. Nottage).

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Regulatory authority for (inter alia) FEPA and responsible for funding of numerous R&D and monitoring programmes in the coastal environment.

The Environment Agency

Responsible for various schemes under the Sustainable Flood Defence Initiative, together with conducting research concerning the effectiveness of beneficial use schemes for flood defence (M. Dixon, K. Thomas).

English Nature

Provision of advice to central government on matters relating to the conservation of marine and estuarine habitats (R. Morris).

Queen Mary and Westfield College

Many years research experience into the relationships between saltmarsh plants and invertebrates. Monitoring of EA managed realignment schemes (R. Hughes)

ABPmer

ABPmer is involved in the environmental assessment and monitoring of a wide range of alternative use schemes for muddy dredged sediments including direct placement, trickle charge and water column recharge schemes. The schemes range in size from tens of thousands of m³ in small estuaries through to several million m³ in major estuaries and have been undertaken for a range of port and harbour authority clients. Particular interests include sediment transport, sediment supply, future morphological evolution of receiving environments, predictive modelling of ecological responses.