Numerical model of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) growth dynamics in West Falmouth Harbor

The development of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) growth model within the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) model leads to a change in SAV biomass. The SAV biomass is computed from temperature, nutrient loading and light predictions obtained from coupled hydrodynamics (temperature), bio-geochemistry (nutrients) and bio-optical (light) models. In exchange, the growth of SAV sequesters or contributes nutrients from the water column and sediment layers. The presence of SAV modulates current and wave attenuation and consequently affects modelled sediment transport. The model of West Falmouth Harbor in Massachusetts, USA was simulated to study the seagrass growth/dieback pattern in a hypothetical scenario. The model setup was simulated for 56 days, beginning 2 July 2010.