Security and management of Coastal groundwater resources and marine ecosystem services

SecuCoast will employ innovative geophysical, optical, and geochemical methods to enhance understanding of coastal aquifer dynamics and the influence of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) on coastal seas, aligning with Call Topic 1.

This research will address the mapping, monitoring, and assessment of groundwater and marine ecosystem services amid global change.

Additionally, SecuCoast aims to provide crucial insights into human and climate change impacts on ecosystem services through rigorous numerical modeling (Topic 2). The project encompasses three key objectives: 1.

Enhancing coastal aquifer water quality by integrating hydrochemical reactions into numerical groundwater flow models, enabling better quantification of sustainable pumping rates and climate change mitigation efforts.2.

Protecting coastal sea ecosystem services by quantifying SGD and associated fluxes using novel geochemical analyses, including radioactive noble gases. This will be complemented by microbial and macrofaunal studies to evaluate impacts on coastal ecosystems.3.

Ensuring the resilience of coastal infrastructure by assessing seafloor sediment types for SGD-induced liquefaction and evaluating factors affecting the transport of saline groundwater in fractured bedrock. These findings will inform the design of coastal infrastructure and the safe utilization of marine space.