MIRO funded research project assessing the impacts of dredging and associated overboard screening on marine benthic communities. This project included a detailed study of the settlement profiles and 'footprint' of discharged materials using conventional water sampling, ADCP and seabed mounted water samplers. Seabed topography, bathymetry, surface sediment structure and particle size analysis was also studied in great detail to be examined in relation to biological community structure. In the same area the benthic and epibenthic communities were quantitatively surveyed using Hamon grabs and beam trawls in addition to in-situ underwater photographs. Advanced GIS mapping and statistical community analysis was combined with the geophysical data in order to interpret our findings. Results have allowed us to develop and validate predictive models describing the impacts associated with marine aggregate dredging. A full copy of the report can be sent out at a charge of £10.00; this can be requested by phone or email. Download a Non-Technical summary of the project