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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are contaminants introduced by different pathways in the marine ecosystem, affecting both aquatic and sediment bodies. Identification of their sources is of vital importance for protecting the marine ecosystem. The attribution of the pollution sources is usually made by using diagnostic molecular ratios of PAHs isomers. The reliability of this approach diminishes when PAHs contents are measured far from their original source, for example in water bodies or in bottom sediments. Conventionally the source attribution is based on time consuming univariate methods. In the present work coupling of molecular ratios with advanced supervised statistical techniques was used to increase the accuracy of the PAH source attribution in bottom sediments. Data on PAHs distribution within 5 port areas, with known pattern port activity, were collected. Evaluation of multiple PAHs ratios at once by means of supervised OPLS-DA technique was performed. A robust descriptive and predictive model was set up and successfully validated. The proposed methodology helps identify PAH transport pathways, highlighting interactions between pollution patterns, port activities and coastal land-use supporting decision makers in defining monitoring and mitigation procedures.

Human presence, coastal erosion, and tourism activities are increasing the attention to coastal flooding risk. To perform risk assessments, long time series of observed or hindcast wave parameters and tide levels are then necessary. In some cases, only a few years of observation are available, so that observed extreme data are not always representative and reliable. A hindcast system aimed to reconstruct long time series of total tide levels may be of great help to perform robust extreme events analysis and then to protect human life, activities as well as to counteract coastal erosion by means of risk assessments. This work aims to propose a simplified method to hindcast storm surge levels time series in semi-enclosed basins with low computational costs. The method is an extension of a previous work of some of the authors and consists of a mixed approach in which the estimation of storm surge obtained by using the theory of linear dynamic system is corrected by using a statistical method. Both steps are characterized by low computational costs. Nevertheless, the results may be considered reliable enough also in view of the simplicity of the approach. The proposed method has been applied to the Manfredonia case study, a small village located in the Southern Adriatic Italian coast and often prone to coastal flooding events. The comparison of extreme events estimated on the basis of hindcast levels time series is satisfactorily similar to those estimated on the basis of observed tide series.

The Italian coastline stretches over about 8350 km, with 3600 km of beaches, representing a significant resource for the country. Natural processes and anthropic interventions keep threatening its morphology, moulding its shape and triggering soil erosion phenomena. Thus, many scholars have been focusing their work on investigating and monitoring shoreline instability. Outcomes of such activities can be largely widespread and shared with expert and non-expert users through Web mapping. This paper describes the performances of a WebGIS prototype designed to disseminate the results of the Italian project Innovative Strategies for the Monitoring and Analysis of Erosion Risk, known as the STIMARE project. While aiming to include the entire national coastline, three study areas along the regional coasts of Puglia and Emilia Romagna have already been implemented as pilot cases. This WebGIS was generated using Free and Open-Source Software for Geographic information systems (FOSS4G). The platform was designed by combining Apache http server, Geoserver, as open-source server and PostgreSQL (with PostGIS extension) as database. Pure javascript libraries OpenLayers and Cesium were implemented to obtain a hybrid 2D and 3D visualization. A user-friendly interactive interface was programmed to help users visualize and download geospatial data in several formats (pdf, kml and shp), in accordance with the European INSPIRE directives, satisfying both multi-temporal and multi-scale perspectives. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Remote sensing and satellite imagery have become commonplace in efforts to monitor and model various biological and physical characteristics of the Earth. The land/water interface is a continually evolving landscape of high scientific and societal interest, making the mapping and monitoring thereof particularly important. This paper aims at describing a new automated method of shoreline position detection through the utilization of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images derived from European Space Agency satellites, specifically the operational SENTINEL Series. The resultant delineated shorelines are validated against those derived from video monitoring systems and in situ monitoring, a mean distance of 1 and a maximum of 3.5 pixels is found.

Dune restoration projects that integrate vegetation efforts with natural, sustainable, and soft solutions have become increasingly popular in coastal communities. Eco-restored dunes have high aesthetic value and are likely to be more resilient to near-surface wind effects and/or minor storms events. However, environmental-friendly restoration strategies still lack scientific insight from systematic research and the role of eco-restoration in dune erosion resistance and resilience has not yet been rigorously investigated. The question is: how can we optimize eco-friendly solutions in dune ecosystem restoration to maximize the resistance and resilience of coastal dunes against erosion from wind, wave, and storm surge attack? The present paper proposes an innovative colloidal silica-based consolidation technique for coastal sand dunes. A special focus is placed on the description of the experience gained from two pilot field studies started in Salento coastal area, in the south of Italy. The preliminary observations clearly show that mineral colloidal silica increases the mechanical strength of non-cohesive sediments allowing the adopted solution to reduce the volume of dune erosion and the dune scarp retreat rate, thus improving the resistance and resilience of the dune system. Besides furthering our knowledge of coastal erosion, the results of these and future studies will be of value to coastal managers and policy makers responsible for dune restoration projects.

Steel slags are side products of iron and steel industry and are suitable for a variety of applications. In the present paper, the assessment of the hazard associated with steel slags used as harbor piers backfilling material was performed. The analyses were conducted on 64 samples (soil and groundwater) collected in 17 sites located in one of the piers of Taranto city (South Italy), a highly industrialized area, where steel slags have been used in the past as backfill material. The obtained data were compared to the national threshold levels and International Indexes (Igeo) for assessing anthropogenic impacts. The first comparative analysis revealed that only vanadium in soil and aluminum in groundwater, associated with high pH values in both matrixes (soil and groundwater) resulted of high concern. Nevertheless, Igeo values and the coupling of comparative analysis with multivariate techniques Principal component analysis and Hierarchical Cluster Analyses revealed that also Sb, Pb, Cr and Zn concentration have an extremely high hazard degree. All analyses confirm the impact of steel slags on contaminant leaching processes due to the strong alkaline nature of their leachates and the presence of strong relationship between metal mobility and other physical-chemical parameters related to the peculiar environmental context. These findings suggest that the use of such materials, albeit economically recommended, should be adopted under severe monitoring of all parameters that could promote the mobility of metals and other contaminants.

This study presents the benefits of the application of multivariate techniques for the hazard assessment of a heavily polluted marine ecosystem. The study area, named Mar Piccolo, near Taranto city (Southern Italy), is a shallow marine basin located nearby an industrial compromised area, declared by the national government as Contaminated Site of Environmental Interest (SIN) due to the presence of long-lasting large industrial settlements that have severely impacted the marine environment. Besides the anthropogenic pressures, the marine basin is characterized by high productivity of several species at different trophic levels of the food chain, that confers to the bottom sediments an unusually high organic matter content. The latter is even enhanced by the presence of freshwater springs in the marine basin. The dynamism of the ecosystem demands for advanced evaluation tools for its correct characterisation. Multivariate ANOVA allied by Hierarchical Clustering are applied in this research to provide a readable picture of the quality status of the sediments, aiming at identifying different loading factors and getting insights into their simultaneous effects. The innovative approach adopted circumvents inefficient time-consuming procedures, usually required by the conventional univariate analyses of each parameter selected for sediment characterisation. A comprehensive hazard assessment was possible thanks to a clear graphical representation of the hazard distribution that supported the identification of the hazard controlling factors, confirming the efficiency of the adopted approach. The tools proposed herein can thus be recommended for the decision makers in investigating and interpretation of the quality status of complex polluted marine eco-systems.

In the present paper, the coastal risk is assessed, at a regional scale, to produce a risk map that will help to prioritize policies and economic resources in coastal management and planning activities. The DPSIR method is here used taking into account processes and cause/effect relationship between Drivers and Pressures, which induce an alteration of actual State and, hence, Impacts on the environment, society and economy. The study area is located in South Italy (Apulia region), where the Risk Index is calculated and mapped for all municipalities facing the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Both coastal Vulnerability and Exposure Indexes are firstly calculated according to the procedure suggested in the EUrosion project (EU model) as the product of specific indicators describing the state of coastal zones, their natural characteristics and both natural and anthropic pressures. Based on both EU model results and knowledge of states and pressures of the study area, a new modified model is then proposed (Mod.E.M.) and final risk maps compared. The comparison shows that new Vulnerability and Exposure indexes better describe the ongoing coastal processes and pressures and allow us to identify hot-spot sites where more detailed analyses could be further focused on. The Mod.E.M. has more than just a local significance since the case study includes coastal areas with so different characteristics, that it can be easily applied to other coastal regions. Moreover, to take into account climate change effects, Risk Index is evaluated under Representative Concentration Pathways R C P 4.5 and R C P 8.5 , mainly affecting the sea level rise and the storm surge level.

Frequently exposed to natural agents such as waves, wind, tides, storm activity, seasonal changes and anthropogenic agents, coastal areas are tangibly high energy environments and therefore subject to considerable dynamics. In order to mitigate and reduce the impacts on these areas, different types of coastal protection systems can be implemented. Rockwalls and breakwaters are the most ordinary structures and even if used precisely for coastal protection, these flexible structures can in turn be damaged or ineffective over time. Therefore, like the monitoring of coastal areas in terms of execution frequency and accuracy, the measurement of changes over time of these structures, in particular after significant events, can allow to carry out an economic maintenance service before a serious occurrence and costly damage. However, given the rapid evolution of the preservation state of coastal areas and protection structures, it is therefore essential to plan an equally frequent, practical and accurate structural-coastal monitoring. On the other hand, their accessibility can sometimes be dangerous or uncomfortable such as to compromise operations in the field. In this work, the application of two close-range detection techniques competitor, i.e. from the Terrestrial Laser Scanner and from Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems, aimed at the generation of three-dimensional reconstructions of a protection structure, was analyzed. By performing a cloud-to-cloud comparison, interesting considerations have been obtained on the precision that can be achieved and on the technical limits deriving from the two methodologies. Considering the economy and practicality of use, if used correctly, a Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems supported by a suitable geo-referencing and an optimized data processing, can produce accurate and coherent 3D reconstructions as those derivable from the Terrestrial Laser Scanner. Finally, the results obtained by merging the point clouds generated from the two different techniques were evaluated in order to identify any advantages in the structural maintenance of the systems.

The hazard assessment strategies for harbour areas usually rely on tools able to predict environmental threats posed by contaminated sediments, mostly based on biological and chemical parameters and distinctly less on hydrological factors. Although ports are considered semi-enclosed and low-energy systems with scarce capacity to disperse contaminants to the open sea, the hydrological pattern established within the port basin cannot be neglected, especially when the localisation of hot spots is required for clean-up and remediation actions. In the present study we considered both approaches (biological/chemical and hydrological) for assessing hot spots of harbour areas. In particular, the relationship between the sediment hazard assessment c_NWAC (cumulative Normalized and Weighted Average Concentration) index (which is based on chemical and biological data) and a properly selected hydrodynamic parameter (the bottom shear stress) of the port area was investigated. This study demonstrates that marine currents influence significantly the fine-grained fraction distribution of the surficial sediments, and thus, the spatial and temporal variability of contaminant concentration. The evaluation of hydrodynamic parameters enhances the performance of hazard tools in the localization of areas of most concern and thus a detailed knowledge of the hydrodynamic features of the port seabed is advisable before defining a proper characterisation strategy for the harbour area.

The use of video-monitoring techniques is significantly increased due to the diffusion of high-resolution cameras at relatively low-costs and they are largely used to estimate the shoreline evolution and wave run-up, as important coastal state indicators to be monitored and predicted for the assessment of flooding and erosion risks. In this work, we present an integrated approach based on the results from the low-cost video monitoring systems and the numerical modeling chain by means of SWAN and XBeach to accurately simulate and predict the swash zone processes.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/nLGNneJzmIU

Data generated by long-term monitoring programs for coastal areas are intricate and require advanced tools able to identify the factors, natural or anthropogenic, responsible for the observed quality status. In the present study, data stemming from a 5-year monitoring programme of the Apulian coast were utilized for validating a speedy and comprehensive approach to assess the environmental quality of the marine-coastal area. Selecting 12 indicator contaminants controlling the pollution degree of the bottom sediments and attributing to each of them a weighted relevance according to their hazard potential, two multimetric indexes were calculated, helping to establish how and to what extent the selected contaminants could affect the achievement of good chemical and ecological status of coastal area. The relationships between calculated hazard degree values and the main natural factors loading on the study area were addressed through multivariate analyses. The variability of hazard degree values over time was explained by means of combined use of multivariate analyses and multimetric indexes, affording a handy method that allows to differentiate the role of natural factors, such as hydrodynamic and morphological features of the coastal track versus that of anthropogenic pressures. The combined approach adopted supports a reliable hazard assessment at long-term period and at a large spatial scale.

International audience; Storm surge and wave runup are key determinants of the potential for beach overwashing during storm events. However, the prediction and quantification of wave runup on embayed beaches is strongly influenced by particular characteristics (e.g., irregular morphology, low tides, absence of swell, etc.) which differ from those on open beaches, and have rarely been investigated in literature. In the present paper, a model framework aimed at predicting wave-induced runup on an embayed sandy beach is validated by means of measurements derived from a video-monitoring station, recently installed in South Italy, during two storm events in 2016. The numerical approach employs MeteOcean forecasted waves within SWAN and SWASH models (in both 2-d and 1-d mode). The combination of multibeam and d-RTK surveys with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery provides high resolution depth grid (m 0.015), particularly required in shallow waters, where wave hydrodynamics is highly influenced by the bottom. The results show and discuss the agreement between video measurements and 2-d predictions of runup. A sensitivity analysis of the Manningfls roughness factor is needed in 1-d simulations. The accuracy of the empirical formulas in predicting wave runup in an embayed beach is also investigated , showing mainly an overestimation of the observations.

Remote sensing and satellite imagery have become commonplace in efforts to monitor and model various biological and physical characteristics of the Earth. The land water interface is a continually evolving landscape of high scientific and societal interest, making the mapping and monitoring thereof particularly important. This paper aims at describe a new automated method of shoreline position detection through the utilization of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images derived from European Space Agency (ESA) satellites. The resultant delineated shorelines are validated against those derived from video-monitoring systems extracted and in-situ monitoring; a mean distance of 1 to 3.51 pixels is found.

A new experimental campaign on a 2D movable-bed physical model, reproducing a typical nourishment sandy beach profile, is being carried out in the wave flume of the Laboratory of Coastal Engineering at Politecnico di Bari (Bari, Italy). The main aim is to assess the short-term evolution of a sandy beach nourishment, relying on a mixed solution built on the deployment of a Beach Drainage System (BDS) and a rubble-mound detached submerged breakwater. This paper aims at illustrating the experimental findings. Tests presented herein deal with both unprotected and protected configurations, focusing on the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes under erosive conditions. Results show that, with respect to the unprotected conditions, BDS reduces the shoreline retreat and the beach steepen within swash and surf zone as well. Moreover, a reduction of net sediment transport rate is observed. When BDS is coupled with the submerged sill, a reversal of the prevalent direction of the net sediment transport seaward occurs offshore the sheltered region. Less considerable positive effects on shoreline retreat are induced by the submerged structure, whereas the mean beach slope remains quite stable. Secondary effects of drain on the submerged sill performance are also highlighted. BDS reduces wave-induced setup on beach, by mitigating the mean water level raising, typically experienced by such structures.

Over the years, the growing development of coastal areas urbanization has led to marine habitat loss and degradation. With the continuous increase in population and industrialization, coastal zones are facing several issues arising from the continued decline in the quality of water and sediments and the rapid deterioration of marine ecosystems. Shipping activities exacerbate such a situation, especially in the vicinity of harbors, which are often affected by stagnant and contaminated waters, containing organic as well as inorganic substances. In Italy, although the environmental legislation does not appropriately consider the port as a water body, specific actions are required in order to properly manage these basins. In this regard, a 3D numerical model is firstly performed to detect the hydrodynamic circulation and the water renewal within a port in the southern Adriatic coast of the Apulian region (South of Italy). Then, some configurations of a possible technical solution, i.e. a pumping system aimed at improving water quality, are modelled. Specifically, the system consists of a pump that draws water from areas with less water exchange and enters it into areas inside the port with lower hydrodynamic circulation. The different results, in terms of (i) number of sinks and sources, and (ii) their location, are compared to obtain the best technical solution that enhances the water renewal and then improves its quality. The study allows readers to identify methods for proper planning and management of such shallow sea areas with low water exchange and thus highly susceptible to accumulation of harmful substances in the water, that are ports.

Almost all marine coastal ecosystems possess complex structural and dynamic characteristics, which are influenced by anthropogenic causes and natural processes as well. Revealing the impact of sources and factors controlling the spatial distributions of contaminants within highly polluted areas is a fundamental propaedeutic step of their quality evaluation. Combination of different pattern recognition techniques, applied to one of the most polluted Mediterranean coastal basin, resulted in a more reliable hazard assessment. PCA/CA and factorial ANOVA were exploited as complementary techniques for apprehending the impact of multi-sources and multi-factors acting simultaneously and leading to similarities or differences in the spatial contamination pattern. The combination of PCA/CA and factorial ANOVA allowed, on one hand to determine the main processes and factors controlling the contamination trend within different layers and different basins, and, on the other hand, to ascertain possible synergistic effects. This approach showed the significance of a spatially representative overview given by the combination of PCA-CA/ANOVA in inferring the historical anthropogenic sources loading on the area.

The Apulia region in Italy has the longest Adriatic coastline; thus, maritime tourism is the driving force for its economic development. Pollution risk for four representative touristic ports of the region was assessed by determining the concentrations of 10 metals, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) congeners, and the main nutrients. The cumulative mean Effects Range–Median quotient (mERMq) was used to assess the hazard degree, while the distribution patterns and content ratios of different PAH sediment concentrations were investigated to identify the pollution sources. Principal component analyses indicated an anomalous pollution trend for one of the small touristic ports assessed; this trend emerged from contamination by heavy metals and PAHs to a larger extent than expected, considering the main activity in this port, especially in its inner basin. The reason of this anomaly is thought to be the hydrodynamic and/or other stress factors.

Overtopping wave loads on vertical structures on top of a dike have been investigated in several small scale experiments in the past. A large-scale validation for a mild foreshore situation is still missing. Hence the WALOWA experimental campaign was carried out to address this topic. In the present paper the objectives of the WALOWA project are outlined in detail, the model and measurement set-up described and the test program presented. Furthermore, preliminary results featuring a single 1000 irregular waves test of the test program are highlighted. This includes the study of the mild and sandy foreshore evolution by comparing profiles before and after the test execution. The profile measurements are obtained with a mechanical profiler. The wave parameters offshore and at the dike toe are numerically simulated using a SWASH model. The numerical results are validated against the measurements. Finally, the force and pressure time series of the waves impacting against the wall are processed and filtered. The load cell measurements and the time series of integrated pressures are compared to each other and for each impact event the maximum force is derived.

This paper presents a new set of 3D experiments aimed to gain insight on the role of the initial acceleration upon the generation process of tsunamis by submerged landslides that may occur at the flanks of conical islands. The experiments have been carried out in a large wave tank by varying the initial acceleration of the landslide model. A novel system, relying on the use of a computer controlled stepped motor, has been employed to control the motion of the landslide model. The experiments have been carried out in a parametric way by changing the initial acceleration of the landslide, aiming to reproduce dierent triggering mechanisms. Preliminary experimental findings confirmed the crucial role of the initial acceleration of the submerged landslide in generating tsunamis.

New systems for video monitoring and surveillance of Apulian coasts (South-east of Italy) have been recently employed. The system design aims at obtaining a tool able to automatically perform image acquisition, image processing and dissemination of results on a web portal. In the present paper, the system implementation and video stations installation at two different sites are described. A new specific Shoreline Detection Model (SDM) has been developed, based on boundary extraction procedure from automatic segmented coastal area. In real time, processed images and shoreline maps are uploaded and make freely downloadable. Moreover, shoreline time variation analysis is available on user-selected transects in cross-shore direction. The SDM model validation is here presented at one location. Over a set of testing images, the pixel-based comparison between manually and automatically detected shorelines lead to a mean distance of about 1.17 p i x e l . Then, the reconstruction of intertidal bathymetry from video is reported and compared with topographical (d-RTK) field survey, in order to assess the system efficacy and accuracy in coastal area monitoring, resulting in a mean RMS error overall the transects investigated equal to 0.025 m .

An extensive full-scale laboratory investigation on a two-dimensional physical model of a beach drainage system (BDS) was performed at “Grosser Wellen-Kanal” of Hannover, Germany. This research dea...

A new coastal video monitoring system for Apulia region, southeast of Italy, is under development. It is composed of visible and thermal streams and featured to be included in a wider meteo-oceanographic monitoring network. The system is designed for use on sandy beaches. The regional Basin Authority (AdBP) through previous field campaigns has identified for long-term monitoring purposes two hotspots, prone to erosion and flooding: Torre Canne (Fasano, BR) and Torre Lapillo (Porto Cesareo, LE), facing the Adriatic and Ionian seas, respectively. This paper presents the actual architecture and some initial findings of its implementation aiming at a complete automatic analysis of morphological features and hydrodynamic studies, mainly focused in swash zone.

While numerous quality guidelines unquestionably drive the management of harbour sediments, port managers increasingly require easy-to-use tools supporting them in assessing the sediment quality. In this work, a new hazard index, named cumulative Normalized and Weighted Average Concentration (c_NWAC), is proposed, considering the concentrations of main hazardous, toxic and bio-accumulative sediment contaminants. This index is an upgraded version of the previously introduced NWAC index, which considered only the metal concentrations. The c_NWAC values range from 0 to 10 scores, and their visualization on a colour base code map leads to an easy identification of hotspots. The applicability of the new index was verified using a dataset derived from the analyses of 42 samples collected at different depths of the seabed of the Port of Bari (Italy). The concentrations of 58 parameters were considered, namely 11 metals and metalloids, 17 congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 16 congeners of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), further 11 organic micropollutants, total organic carbon (TOC) and nutrients (Ntot, Ptot). For the study area, the obtained c_NWAC values resulted well correlated to the corresponding values of the commonly used mean Effects Range Median quotient (mERMq), and similar hazard categories were developed for the new index, even if the latter do not necessarily explain the real sediment toxicity, because they were derived from a different sediment dataset and different test species. Moreover, the hazard predictive ability of the new index was verified (with satisfactory results) by testing the considered samples by eco-toxicological assays, using three different biological species, and comparing the obtained results to the corresponding hazard categories developed for c_NWAC.

It has been shown before, and it is intuitively evident, that in a Significant Wave Height (SWH) time series, the longer the sampling interval, the lower is the number of events which are above a given threshold value. As a consequence, the use of data with a low time resolution (such as a 3 h sampling, for instance) causes a considerable undervaluation of the extreme SWH values for a given return time RT. In this paper an example of such a bias is provided, and a method is suggested to estimate it on a regional basis. Results may help to improve the use of historical wave meters data which were often collected with a low time resolution, and may also provide a tool to improve the application of Numerical Meteo-Wave models to the evaluation of extremes.

This paper presents a new experimental campaign aimed at reproducing tsunamis generated by landslides at the flank of conical islands. In order to describe in high details the wave field around the island a special acquisition system, which consists of both fixed and movable wave gauges, has been employed. Indeed, each experiment has been repeated several times by changing the configuration of the movable gauges, then obtaining a single virtual experiment with high spatial resolution measurements. Fixed run-up gauges measure the waves at fixed locations to statistically quantify the repeatability of the experiments. Selected experimental results are illustrated within the paper that is mainly aimed at defining a benchmark dataset, available on request, for the development/calibration/validation of analytical and numerical models of tsunamis generated by landslides.

Sea transport is considered globally as one of the most environmentally harmless forms of transport. For this reason the ports’ activities are a subject to special precautions to ensure that they support the sustainable and environment friendly development of sea conditions. The work presents, first, the main features of the common model (CM) for improved seaports’ ecology, and second, it elucidates the guidelines about the preparation of Managing Action Plans (MAP) for South-East Europe (SEE) harbors. Also, the work describes the general structure of MAP and gives a list of tangible instructions and recommendations streaming the elaboration of MAP for an improved management of SEE seaports of TEN-T.

In the framework of the activities of the TEN ECOPORT project, carried out with a “closed chain” approach, the Environmental Management System (EMS) and its additional instruments, already individuated and implemented in the previous experience of ECOPORT 8, become effective through the enforcement of a managing action plan (MAP) which needs to be periodically checked to ensure that the quality system continues to meet the requirements of the standards and to permit a continual improvement. With the aim of checking the effectiveness of the EMS chosen within Southeast Europe (SEE) ports, the process performance measures and monitoring (PPMM) and its control system (CS), based on a closed chain used to explicit causes and effects related to a particular situation, were applied in order to recognize the bottlenecks on which it is necessary to intervene with priority with the aim of achieving an effective sustainable management of SEE Ports.

In order to evaluate the pollution status of the sediments of two industrial and commercial harbors, an integrated approach was applied. A closer look of chemical and bio-toxicological data selected in 23 different stations located in the different internal basins of Bari port (IT) and Bourgas port (BG) is provided; integration of data by multivariate analysis was conducted, and a comparison procedure is presented as useful tool to elucidate the potential risk of sediments and helpful step towards a harmonized assessment criteria.

The paper deals with the analysis of the groundwater flow in a drained beach. Infiltration processes in static conditions (without running waves) are numerically simulated by using the \textitHYDRUS-2D software.\\ Nevertheless field and laboratory experiences give the possibility to study the influence of the system on both nearshore hydrodynamics and morphodynamics, a numerical model, able to reproduce the drainage main physical processes, is fundamental in order to define the main BDS design criteria which, to date, are not yet defined.\\ The groundwater flow through a partially saturated porous media is described using Richard's equation. Numerical results are then compared with the experimental ones obtained during an intensive experimental program performed on a Beach Drainage System (BDS) prototype at the GrosserWellen Kanal (GWK) in Hannover. In particular, the study focuses on the BDS influence on the groundwater table inside the beach and drained flows.

This paper reports the experimental Project "'SPANWAVE-SPPORITA" carried out at the "Canal de Investigaci6n y Experimentaci6n Maritima" of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain). The Project goals were to obtain detailed and accurate measurements of turbulent and mean velocities over the bar and trough regions, for regular and random waves breaking over the bar. Four wave conditions were simulated, and both surface elevation and velocity measurements were carried out at a large number of locations. The experiments are considered successful and provide a unique data set on surfzone hydrodynamics over a barred beach. Preliminary data results reveal quite interesting aspects, deserving further investigation.

The paper deals with a morphological study on a drained beach, under different wave conditions. The Beach Drainage System (BDS) should artificially increase beach infiltration capacity by installing a drain under the beach face. The system produces a water table lowering and, consequently, an increasing of unsaturated zone (Damiani et Al.,2009); moreover, a vertical infiltration flow increases effective weight of grains, producing a better stability. According to the above hydrodynamic effect BDS should influence cross shore sediment transport in the shore zone. Many BDS prototypes have been installed around the world; also in Italy some examples are available, i.e. Ostia (Damiani et Al.,2003), Alassio and Procida (Vicinanza et Al.,2009). Field monitoring is very useful to assess the effectiveness of the system, even if with uncertainties in results, affected by the impossibility to control the boundary conditions. Laboratory tests (Damiani et Al.,2009) could be used in defining how does the system work in different wave conditions and drain configurations.