ABSTRACT
An experimental study to investigate how biofilms influence seabed morphology was performed in order to establish which parameters influence the stabilizing effects on sediment the most and therefore where the focus for further research in enhanced stability on sediment by biofilms should be placed. Using an artificial biofilm, shear stresses at the bed of a flume were determined from measurements of the velocity field in a turbulent unidirectional flow. Additional flume experiments with the artificial biofilm were performed to establish the conditions necessary to make a biofilm fail. It was concluded that biofilms decrease the shear stress under higher flow velocities. It was found that the strength of the biofilm does not have a major influence on the increase in stability.
