Framework-forming cold-water corals provide a refuge for numerous organisms and, consequently, the ecosystems formed by these corals can be considered as impressive deep-sea biodiversity hotspots. If suitable environmental conditions for coral growth persist over sufficiently long periods of time in equilibrium with continuous sediment input, substantial accumulations of coral mound deposits consisting of coral fragments and baffled sediments can form. Although this conceptual approach is widely accepted, little is known about the prevailing hydrodynamics in their close proximity, which potentially affect sedimentation patterns. In order to refine the current understanding about the hydrodynamic mechanisms in the direct vicinity of a model cold-water coral colony, a twofold approach of a laboratory flume experiment and a numerical model was set up. In both approaches the flow dynamics around a simplified cold-water coral colony used as current obstacle were investigated. The flow measurements of the flume provided a dataset that served as the basis for validation of the numerical model. The numerical model revealed data from the vicinity of the simplified cold-water coral, such as the pressure field, velocity field, or the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in high resolution. Features of the flow like the turbulent wake and streamlines were also processed to provide a more complete picture of the flow that passes the simplified cold-water coral colony. The results show that a cold-water coral colony strongly affects the flow field and eventually the sediment dynamics. The observed decrease in flow velocities around the cold water-coral hints to a decrease in the sediment carrying potential of the flowing water with consequences for sediment deposition.

Quantification of the resistance in complex roughness situations, when both bed surface and form roughnesses contribute to the total resistance, as well as partitioning of the two contributions is still unsolved. Studies about form resistance of single elements focused on obstacles mounted on smooth bed surfaces, and only few considered a rough bed surface. In order to define an approach for shear stress partitioning in open channel flows, the effect of flow conditions, the geometrical characteristics of the obstacle, and the effect of the bed surface need to be studied. This paper contributes to the topic presenting results of experiments investigating the flow field around a cube and a hemisphere mounted on a bed surface with wake interference roughness. The velocity field and the drag force exerted on the obstacles were measured with a 3D Laser Doppler Anemometer and a drag force sensor, respectively. The double averaging methodology (DAM) was applied to define the characteristic region influenced by the cube and the hemisphere, and to analyse the streamwise velocities. DAM was developed for canopy flow, thus, the methodology needed to be adapted for isolated obstacle situations. A dependency of the drag coefficient on the relative submergence is observed and analysed.

Restoration works on an 11 km long reach of the Spree River near Cottbus in Germany were accomplished in 2014. The overall objective was to improve the biodiversity, changing the morphological structure from a straight single-thread river to a braiding one with reshaped thalweg, and creating zones with varying flow velocities required for fish spawning. Several interventions were made, among which also two types of groynes were constructed along the reach: impermeable stone groynes, with an inclined crest so that only the tip is typically submerged during normal flow conditions, and wooden groynes made of several large trunks, which are mainly submerged at normal flow conditions. To compare local morphodynamic effects caused by the different types, flow velocities and bed topography were measured at distances of 12 m upstream and 16 m downstream of two selected groynes. The vertical profile was captured by measuring at five levels above the bed. Bed material was sampled at several locations around the groynes. The analysis of the measurements showed the effect of each groyne type on the flow velocity, bed topography and bed material. Furthermore, the differences in the effects of each groyne type on the flow, bed topography and bed material were highlighted.

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