In this flume experiment, we aimed to quantify the way in which salt marsh and mangrove vegetation edges attenuate incident wave and current energy, modify the nature of the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and thus control the sediment transport which determines the rate of progradation or landward retreat. Our results will complement recent work (Maza et al. 2013, Losada et al. 2016, Maza et al. 2013) in order to obtain a better understanding of wave-current flow features at vegetation edges. They will increase our understanding of coastal wetland dynamics, and deliver information that could be used for efforts to increase coastal resilience and therefore protection.
ReferencesMaza, M., J.L. Lara, and I.J. Losada, A coupled model of submerged vegetation under oscillatory flow using Navier–Stokes equations. Coastal Engineering, 2013. 80: p. 16-34.Losada, I.J., M. Maza, and J.L. Lara, A new formulation for vegetation-induced damping under combined waves and currents. Coastal Engineering, 2016. 107: p. 1-13.Maza, M., J.L. Lara, and I.J. Losada, Solitary wave attenuation by vegetation patches. Advances in Water Resources, 2016. 98: p. 159-172.