Biodiverse and spatially self-organized tidal marshes are most effective for nature-based shoreline protection

Introduction: Coastal flood protection faces growing challenges due to sea level rise and intensifying storms driven by climate change. Conservation or creation of tidal<br/>marshes offers a promising nature-based adaptation for protection of muddy estuarine shorelines against erosion and flood risks, as they attenuate wave impacts while providing ecological benefits [1], [2], [3]. However, limited knowledge exists on how much the efficiency of nature-based wave attenuation depends on (a) biodiversity, i.e. the presence of multiple plant species with species-specific plant-wave interactions, and (b) resulting self-organization of spatial zonation of plant species. This study investigates this question, focusing on tidal marsh species commonly found in NW European estuaries.<br/><br/>