Microsoft Environmental Research Workshop Abstract Submission

Microsoft Environmental Research Workshop, Redmond, Washington July 14, 2010,

Forecasting Aquatic Sediment Changes

Thomas J Kryzak AIR & EARTH LLC

According to the EPA, 10% of the Aquatic Sediment in the US waters is contaminated. Restore America’s Estuaries reports that pollution has rendered 44% of our estuaries and 12% of our ocean shores unfit for aquatic life. China EPA states that 90% of their water is contaminated. It is evident that the waterbottomsedimentsarethefinalrestingsiteforpollutants. NowaddadashofClimateChangeand you have some areas receiving less precipitation, some areas receiving more precipitation with greater storm intensity and with that you have a recipe for erosion. According to some scientists, a one foot rise in sea level allows for ocean waters to move inland 1,000 to 10,000 feet. By reclaiming these water bottoms, the deposited light weight soils and sediments from years of accumulation, once again are subject to the forces of moving water.

In an attempt to deal with sediment issues now and as they change in the future, we have an opportunity to gather data from pre and post sediment related projects. Sediment is a record keeper of data and a trackingtoolfortheinformationhighway. Ithasmappedthehistoryofclimatechange,carbonemissions, contaminants, habitats, PH, temperature, biodiversity and the ecology. It is the past, the present and the predictive future. As information is gathered from around the world it can be mapped and transferred effectively to planning, decision making and management at locations worldwide making impacts on a global scale.

The newest sediment remediation technology from Environmental Lunch Box Technology (ELBT) is designed for sediment sampling, relocating, remediation, capping, water and sediment filtering, habitat replacement, invasive species removal, artifact identification and recovery. The ELB is equipped with GPS and Sonar Technology which maps out the water bottoms pre and post project, tracks the changes andisusedtohelpforecastthesedimentenvironmentswewillencounterinthefuture. Inastrangetwist, some waterways contain too little sediment for transport to estuaries and bays to replace the sediment losseswherewecontinuetolosethevitalcoastalhabitatatarateof1.2and9%everyyear. Nomatter what one believes, the future will deliver us change; we need to be able to forecast and prepare for what is in store for mankind on a global scale.

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