NEW INSIGHTS ON USING SCALED MARSH PLANT SURROGATES FOR WAVE ATTENUATION

It has been widely demonstrated in literature that coastal marshes provide positive ecosystem services related to protection, including wave attenuation, storm surge reduction, and erosion prevention (Moller et al., 2014; Wang 2021; Paul Kerpen, 2021). Physical modelling presents a useful tool for investigating the protection function provided by marsh vegetation controlled, repeatable environment, inform design of nature-based strategies, or “nature-based solutions” (NBS). To date, physical studies have used investigate influence plant biophysical parameters (stem width, stem height, flexibility) hydrodynamic conditions on attenuation (e.g., Augustin 2009; Anderson Smith, Moller Ozeren van Veelen 2020). Such predominantly surrogate due logistical challenges facility requirements associated with live experiments. Furthermore, most performed at near full-scale reduce uncertainties scale effects downscaling vegetation, particularly where Reynolds number similarity cannot be preserved (Blackmar 2014). address existing knowledge gaps small-scale, experiments were conducted 63 m long 1.22 wide flume National Research Council Canada’s Ocean, Coastal River Engineering Centre, Ottawa, collaboration University Ottawa Institut de la Recherche Scientifique, Quebec City.