The connections between spatial and temporal variations of hydrodynamic conditions and deposition across a marsh surface restored through managed realignment

Abstract

As sea levels rise and coastal flooding increases, our current hard engineering sea defences will get increasingly expensive to maintain. Nature-based solutions, such as salt marsh restoration with the managed realignment (MR) of dykelands, have the ability to provide flood protection as sea levels rise. This thesis measured hydrologic variables and sediment parameters across a MR site located within the Chignecto Isthmus in the Bay of Fundy. This data was used in conjunction with marsh surface data from a co-occurring study, Lewis (2022), to link site inlet conditions to surface sediment deposition. Varying hydrologic and topographic factors interacted, creating the spatiotemporal deposition patterns measured. These interactions guided statistical models of deposition prediction, which were assessed for their practicality and accuracy. This research will inform future MR restoration trajectory models.