Can you suggest best sediment quality index for tropical estuaries?

I'm looking for methods to make measurements of sediments transport close to sea bottom along shore from different direction. I'm looking for simple sediment traps which are used to measure such horizontal transport.

Rate of alongshore sediment transport caused by wave attacks is remarkably high in south of Caspian Sea. There is a gulf in south-east of the sea and sediment deposition in combination with decrease in Mean Sea Level led to blockage of the entry channel of the gulf. I'm wondering which type of coastal protection is more practical to decrease sedimentation rate in this coastline? Can you mention a similar project?

For my Senior thesis I am conducting sedimentation and deposition research on the Chattahoochee river in West Point Ga. There is a particular creek that brings in a large load of sediment into the river and I am trying to determine how much of that sediment gets dropped immediately after the confluence, up to 500 meters. I've placed sediment traps, one before the creek and one every 100 meters after the confluence. Once data is gathered what would be the best statistic to use in this research.

My study is on diversity and abundance of brachyuran crabs in the inter-tidal region of tropical estuary.

is it fauna or flora?is it due to sedimentation process?

This is a sediment core from late holocene outer shelf of East China Sea. The water depth is around 80 m. It shows a overall fining-upward sequence (normal graded). It is like Ta, however I can't see any Tb Tc and Td. There are many rip-up mud clasts. No tractional flow (cross lamination) can be seen. The grain size distribution shows a double peak style.

Can we conclude that sedimentation rate in a sedimentary basin increases when chemical weathering at the source area intensifies? (Lacustrine black shale)

The theory says the estuaries act as a sediment "trap", because of the flocculating and sorbing processes. But is it correct, in a general way, to think that it can also happen to the non-soluble chemicals that may come with the river influx of suspended matter? Or would it act just as "slowing down" of the ultimate flux to the sea? Thank you very much.

They are from a drill core of early Cambrian shales. The diameter of the drill core is about 10 cm.