Experimental observations of vertical and horizontal distribution of total suspended sediment using high frequency acoustic backscattering technique

Accumulation of heavy metals such as Hg and Cd is increasingly becomes a critical environmental concern, especially when they enter into higher food chains and are consumed by humans. It has been identified that these heavy metals are attached to a particle or aggregate of particles in the water column. This fact prompted a need for a better understanding of the dynamics of these particles in order to predict their spread or the potential accumulation. Recent experimental observation at Jakarta Bay, Indonesia, employing high frequency acoustic backscattering technique is used to describe this dynamic of suspension and resuspension of particles in the water column. Vertical and horizontal distribution and concentration of the total suspended sediment will be presented and discussed.