Descrizione del progetto
Uso della zostera come soluzione a base naturale per la difesa delle coste
La zostera può contribuire alla difesa delle coste attenuando le onde e stabilizzando i sedimenti, in modo da ridurre l’erosione costiera. Il progetto SHIEELD, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà pertanto nuovi strumenti per valutare il valore protettivo della zostera nella difesa delle coste in una serie di condizioni. I ricercatori misureranno la forza d’attrito della zostera sulla scala di appezzamenti omogenei e il suo effetto sulle soglie di mobilità dei sedimenti, attraverso un’apposita campagna sul campo che utilizzerà un innovativo canale portatile. I risultati saranno impiegati per realizzare un documento programmatico che permetta a dirigenti e responsabili delle politiche di gestione idrica di prendere decisioni informate nell’ambito delle soluzioni basate sulla natura. Il lavoro prevedrà un’intensa collaborazione interdisciplinare che includerà gli ambiti delle interazioni tra corrente e vegetazione, la meccanica dei fluidi ambientale e soluzioni basate sulla natura per la difesa delle coste.
Obiettivo
Coasts worldwide are experiencing ever-increasing flood risk and coastal erosion. To simultaneously enhance the efficiency of coastal defence and improve the ecological status of coastlines, the scientific community has recently proposed the use of nature-based solutions. Eelgrass canopies have the potential to contribute to coastal defence by attenuating waves and stabilizing sediments so that coastal erosion is reduced. However, the value of eelgrass in nature-based solutions has never been assessed adequately. The ambitious goal of the SHIEELD project is to assess the protective value of eelgrass in coastal defence. To achieve this goal SHIEELD will investigate:
- The flow resistance and wave attenuation of eelgrass canopies in oscillatory flows and combined wave-current flows with laboratory experiments in an open-channel facility and using eelgrass surrogates, a novel device to measure the drag force of eelgrass at a patch scale, flow diagnostic techniques and wave gages;
- The effects of eelgrass below and aboveground biomass on sediment mobility thresholds with a dedicated field campaign using an innovative portable flume.
The project will develop novel tools, based on drag partitioning theory, to estimate eelgrass contribution to coastal defence in a range of hydraulic conditions. Findings of SHIEELD will be translated towards a policy brief so that water managers and policymakers can take more-informed decisions in the context of nature-based solutions. The proposed fellowship will enable a strong interdisciplinary collaboration between the applicant, a researcher with experience in flow-vegetation interactions, and the supervisors, an expert in environmental fluid mechanics and a world leader in nature-based solutions for coastal defence. During this fellowship the applicant will undertake advanced training to enhance his scientific, transferable and networking skills, and empower his career for a tenure track position or a consultant role.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinatore
10129 Torino
Italia