Aggregates for the Building Trade
Aggregate extraction is the removal of sand and gravel through a dredge. It is big business within the North Sea, currently estimated to be around its peak levels, providing up to 15% of some countries demands for sand and gravels.
The material extracted is used within the building industry. It is used as the base material for railways and roads, and also in making concrete.
There are concerns regarding about how sustainable the practice of extraction is and its effects on the marine environment. Considerable levels of research are being undertaken to determine what effects aggregate dredging can have on marine wildlife, not only directly through removal of the habitat but removal of species found within sandy and gravelly habitats as well as the indirect effect of siltation creating clouds of underwater suspended sediment which may clog the delicate feeding mechanisms of suspension filter feeders (those which extract materials from the water around them).
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