Preface

*Lagoon Environments Around the World - A Scientific Perspective* covers a wide range of topics. Typically bordering between land and sea, lagoons are among the most diversely utilized waterways on the planet. Lagoons are extremely important environments socio-economically, and their usage places ever increasing stress on these very sensitive aquatic regions.

The effective management of shallow aquatic environments requires a detailed scientific understanding of the various contributary natural processes. This has both environmental and economic implications, especially where there is any anthropogenic involvement. Numerical models are often used for predicting the trends and patterns as they can estimate the various spatial and temporal changes. However, the processes (e.g. physical, biological, and chemical) can vary quite considerably depending on local conditions. Thus, for more than half a century, scientists, engineers, hydrologists, and mathematicians have been continuing to conduct research into the many aspects that influence lagoon environments. These issues range from processes such as water quality, pollution, and phytobenthic communities, to how morphodynamics, water column structure, and habitats can be applied within lagoon environmental frameworks.

This book draws on international scientific research to examine the following lagoon related issues: classification, circulation hydrodynamics, ecosystems, sedimentation, anthropogenic stresses, and response to extreme events. These key topics are each supported by case study examples of lagoons from around the world. The research was carried out by researchers who specialize in shallow water processes and related issues.

It has been a great pleasure to write the preface to this book published by IntechOpen. The book comprises 9 chapters written by a truly international group of research scientists, who specialise in areas such as sediment dynamics, morphology, hydrology, and numerical sediment transport modelling. The majority of the chapters cover issues related to natural process in lagoon environments. For example: autonomous systems for lagoon characterization, GIS-based approaches to assess lagoon run-off, assessments of lagoon coral reefs, and statistical models and field observations to assess the dynamic salinity structure. Other contributions in this book include: lagoon morphology, pollution issues, and biological community structure. Authors are responsible for their views and subsequent concluding statements.

In summary, this book provides an excellent source of information on recent research on lagoon environments, particularly from an interdisciplinary perspective. I would like to thank all of the authors for their contributions and I highly recommend this textbook to both scientists and engineers who deal with the related issues.

**II**

**Chapter 7 159**

Bio-processes **187**

**Chapter 8 189**

**Chapter 9 209**

*by Daniel Torruco, M. Alicia González-Solis and Ángel Daniel Torruco González*

Process-Based Statistical Models Predict Dynamic Estuarine Salinity

Subtropical Coastal Lagoon from Southern Brazil: Environmental

Lagoons Reefs of Alacranes Reef and Chinchorro Bank: Ocean Reef

*by Christina L. Durham, David B. Eggleston and Amy J. Nail*

Conditions and Phytobenthic Community Structure

*by Leticia Donadel and Lezilda Torgan*

**Section 4**

of Mexican Atlantic

**Andrew J. Manning** Professor, HR Wallingford Ltd, Coasts & Oceans Group, UK

> University of Hull, UK

University of Delaware, USA

University of Florida, USA

Stanford University, USA

Technical University Delft, Netherlands

> University of Plymouth, UK

> > **1**

Section 1

Water Quality and

Pollution

Section 1
