Modelling consequences of artificial structures on salt marsh dynamics in the Wadden Sea

Salt marshes are more and more recognised as resilient and sustainable supplements to traditional coastal flood protection structures. Nevertheless, many salt marshes face severe erosion. There is a general consensus that creating an area which is sheltered from high energetic conditions improves the potential for salt marsh growth. However, little proof is provided on the explicit influence of artificial structures to promote salt marsh growth. We investigated how engineering solutions can be used to steer the morphological development of salt marshes.