Reinforcing Coastlines: Adaptive Reshaping of Coastal Terrain Informed by Natural Sedimentation Patterns for Mangrove Root Systems
Creators: name: Roy, Meghna
Publisher: name: Carnegie Mellon University
Year: 2024
Subjects: Landscape Architecture
Land Use and Environmental Planning

description:  Coastal Terrains have been recognized by scientists over the years as hazardous and dynamic zones. As we face  challenges over global warming, with shifts in climate patterns, coastal soil erosion is a pressing concern for various  ecological and marine systems. This problem has an economic, ecological, and social dimension. Coastal  infrastructures around high value economic zones have been reduced to concrete embankments and are interpreted  as structural means to force a boundary. The limitation of reactive, action-based shoreline management plans can be  mitigated by implementing natural ecosystems and their structural qualities for developing future interventions.  Various coastal morphologies, ranging from reef systems to mangroves, gravel beaches, sand deposition areas, and  salt marshes, showcase diverse ecological adaptations to dynamic natural forces. The experiment addresses the  evaluation of mangrove root systems and their ecological models, systems, and elements of nature to solve the  dynamic problems at the coast.  
This research framework focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of natural sedimentation as a regenerative tool  for reinforcing coastal areas, drawing inspiration from the growth patterns of mangrove systems. The study highlights  the importance of adaptive solutions for coastal landscapes, acknowledging the dynamic nature of these environments  and leveraging insights from natural soil accumulation patterns to enhance the resilience of coastal landforms in the  future. The methodology primarily involves two key exercises: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis and  physical testing using simulation sand. Utilizing GIS data mapping of coastal terrain in combination with land loss  data enables the development of prediction models, and the mapping of ecological biomes and ecosystems against  these models while identifying the vulnerable coastlines. Additionally, experimental physical testing with simulation  sand contributes to the creation of a database detailing the topological shaping of the terrain, to achieve self?regenerative coastal reinforcement. 
The study is situated in Charlotte Bay, Florida by mapping one of the biggest mangrove biomes along the Gulf of Mexico at Port Charlotte which is considered the Parent site with a reserve of its propagules floating with the currents  in the bay. The Target site is Charlotte Harbor, along the coast of which a cluster of profiles would be embedded. The  experiment concluded that sand sedimentation strategies along the coastline through minimum human intervention,  that is, embedding profiles of minimum diameter 5.13 mm, can be achieved to form catchment zones for mangrove  propagules in circulation at a target close to a parent site. The study also cements the role of mangrove forests as a  strategy for coastal reinforcement by predicting the effects of the experiment over the course of twenty plus years.