Visiting Postdoc from University of Twente, Netherlands
thomasvv@mit.edu
Salt marshes are vegetated coastal wetlands with benefits for coastal protection, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Their complex interaction between currents, waves, fine sediments, and vegetation creates a dynamic shoreline that is resilient or erosive. Resilient salt marshes have sufficient sediment deposition to withstand erosion and may even expand, whereas erosive salt marshes are shrinking and provide fewer ecosystem services. My goal is to understand how salt marsh vegetation affects sediment deposition using experiments in the Nepf Lab wave-current flume. Vegetation can reduce current and wave velocities, which may enhance deposition. However, the interaction between currents, waves and vegetation also generates turbulence, which contributes to sediment resuspension. My experiments will define different regimes for sediment deposition under conditions with combined waves and currents. The results will provide insight on sediment deposition patterns on salt marshes, and, consequently, salt marsh resilience.