Research Projects

Tidal inlet as an opening in the shoreline through which water enters the hinterland,thereby providing a connection between the ocean and bays, lagoons, and estuaries.These inlets provide a tidal connection between back barrier bays, lagoons, marsh andtidal creeks, and the coastal ocean and are kept open by tidal currents. Tidal inletssignificantly impact the local coastal environment. They play an important role in nearshore processes and exchange of water, sediments, nutrients, larvae, planktonicorganisms and pollutants. Tidal basins, including tidal lagoons and estuaries with theirassociated coastal inlets, interrupt a significant part of the world’s shorelines. The mainchannel of a tidal inlet is maintained by the tidal currents propagating back and forthbetween the lagoon and the sea resulting from the rise and fall of the tides. Due to the factthat coastal inlets interrupt the continuity of the shorelines and near shore processes, theyplay a vital role in sediment budgets and coastal erosion. The morphology of tidal inletsis controlled by the interaction of hydrologic, geologic, meteorological, oceanographic,and topographic features. The complexity of inlet processes show diversity in hydraulicsignature, sediment transport patterns, and morphology. The frequency and interactionsof tide, wave and freshwater flow, together with topographic and geologic controls, areresponsible for wide range in tidal settings