WAVE SPECTRUM TRANSFORMATION OVER A SALT MARSH UNDER EXTREME STORM CONDITIONS

In the face of accelerating sea-level rise, coastal structures are dealing with the growing challenge of increased wave loading, requiring innovative solutions for coastal protection. The effectiveness of common hard static structures such as asphalt-covered dikes might drop with increasing sea levels leading to increased cost for their raising. In contrast, salt marshes stand as vital coastal ecosystems with remarkable adaptability (Zhu et al., 2020). The application of salt marshes as a frontline defense is still limited due to knowledge gaps, particularly concerning their capacity to dissipate energy during extreme storm conditions. To bridge these knowledge gaps, this paper explores the transformation of wave spectra over salt marshes, shedding light on their potential as a viable and sustainable coastal protection strategy.