The wave dissipation potential of Spartina alterniflora in the Bay of Fundy

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine the wave dissipation potential of salt marsh vegetation in a temperate, hypertidal estuary. The study site is Clifton Marsh, Nova Scotia, in the Bay of Fundy. This site was selected in part because it is monospecific, with Spartina alterniflora. This research will investigate how effective Spartina alterniflora is at attenuating wave energy and the variability in wave height as the vegetation height increases over time. A transect was set up with 4 RBRduet3 T.D|wave16 — temperature and pressure loggers extending from the mudflat to the vegetated section. Data were collected from mid June to early December 2020. For each two-week dataset, the data was sorted to include only that with a depth greater than 0.1 m, and events were selected to have a significant wave height that is greater than 0.05 m. Vegetation surveys were carried out bi weekly to measure the various parameters such as the stem height, stem diameter and the width of the middle top parts of the leaves. The outcomes show that vegetation has an effect on the wave energy and significant wave height and affects the attenuation capacity of salt marshes. This research demonstrates that the presence of vegetation on salt marshes plays an important role in wave dissipation and attenuation. There needs to be a better understanding of vegetated intertidal environments and incoming waves, to achieve sustainable coastal management and planning.