Researchers are investigating whether saltwater marshes in coastal areas can provide protection against flooding
A team from the Netherlands has studied the role that salt marshes might play in protecting coastal areas subject to heavy swells from flooding. To this end, they transported and installed 306 square metres of salt marsh and vegetation in the Delta Flume, one of the world’s largest wave flumes. After 21 hours of exposure to waves up to two metres high, they found that the vegetation can reduce wave height by more than 10 per cent and by up to 50 per cent on low-energy marshy coasts — that is, those where waves reach a maximum of one metre. According to the authors, the restoration and conservation of salt marshes on storm-exposed coasts could be a promising strategy for mitigating the effects of storms. The findings are published in Nature.