Living shorelines are a form of Nature-based Solutions, which incorporate natural elements that provide flood and erosion risk management benefits. Climate change impacts are increasingly motivating communities in Canada to consider incorporating living shorelines in coastal protection schemes. Few studies have quantified wave attenuation by real saltmarsh vegetation in large-scale laboratory facilities, particularly for species native to the east coast of Canada. There is a knowledge gap on how seasonality affects wave attenuation by saltmarsh vegetation and how attenuation varies from the lower marsh to the higher marsh depending on species-specific plant traits. To bridge this gap, experiments were performed in a 5-m wide, 5-m deep and 120-m long wave flume facility. Preliminary results show that different saltmarsh species resulted in different degrees of wave attenuation. The experiments are still ongoing with the final test series expected to be run in late October 2023.
