The protection of sandy shores – Can we afford to ignore the contribution of seagrass?

Abstract

Shore nourishment is considered an effective soft coastal protection measure for sandy shorelines. However, sand demand and costs are high, especially as nourishment has to be repeated regularly due to ongoing erosion. Seagrass meadows are able to trap and stabilise sediment by reducing bed shear stress. Moreover, they reduce flow velocity and wave energy in regions beyond their boundaries. Especially small species may not provide these ecosystem services sufficiently to protect shorelines from erosion, but they may stabilise beach profiles enough to increase nourishment intervals. This review discusses the potential benefits of integrating ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows, both existing and newly planted, in nourishment plans, and also addresses potential limitations such as unsuitable hydrodynamic conditions and seasonality. Finally, it highlights knowledge gaps that should be addressed by interdisciplinary research to improve nourishment plans and use seagrass ecosystem services to their full potential.