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Sizing up marshes for flood prevention
Just how big do coastal marshes need to be to do their job as protectors of the coastline? IRIS researchers from the University of Georgia, Viyaktha Hithaishi Hewageegana, Matt Bilskie, Brock Woodson, and Brian Bledsoe investigated the matter by running simulations that tested how changes in marsh geometry impacted the storm surge and amount of flooding. Just as engineers use…
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Special Section on LTER and Climate Change
Story by Sean Turner Forest and freshwater ecosystems are not just important for their natural beauty. They also provide our communities with drinking water, power, transportation, and provide habitat for other species. And because of their importance as infrastructure, it is imperative that we know how climate change has affected these biomes and how we can protect them in the…
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Engineering coastal structures to centrally embrace biodiversity
Story by Sean Turner Image from Pexels.com Protecting ecosystems or protecting our communities is not an “either-or” scenario. Both are possible using natural infrastructure in place of and alongside gray infrastructure. Natural infrastructure is capable of protecting our coastal communities from floods as well as increasing biodiversity on our shorelines. Network for Engineering With Nature member, Dr. Burton Suedel, teamed up…
