MODELING COLD CLIMATE SALTMARSH EVOLUTION: TOOLS FOR RESTORATION AND PREDICTION

Novel approaches to evaluating marsh eco-geomorphic evolution are being developed using mathematical models that incorporate ecological, hydrological, and geomorphologic considerations. Such works have predominantly been implemented for marshes located in the Netherlands (e.g., Gourgue et al., 2022), with a couple case studies in the United States (e.g., Brand et al., 2022) and Australia (Kumbier et al., 2022). Inputs to such models are often highly site-specific and intrinsically tied to geographically variant parameters (species, sediment supply, hydrodynamic context, seasonal effects). Numerical models of marsh eco-geomorphic evolution developed thus far have not been validated for field sites within Canada. Presently, vegetation-based coastal adaptation strategies, including coastal marsh restoration design and erosion risk assessment, are hindered in Canada by a lack of numerical predictive tools that can accurately assess marsh eco-geomorphologic evolution.