Nature-Based Solutions: Engineering for a Coastal Climate Future

Protecting coastal environments and communities from sea level rise and storms requires engineering solutions that acknowledge the uncertainty of our climate change predictions on coastal scales. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are engineered to adapt to the environment while reducing shoreline flooding and promoting healthy coastal ecosystems. NBS implementation combines engineering, ecological, and socioeconomic disciplines, thus the range of potential solutions is both wide and difficult to evaluate. This talk will explore the efficacy of a solution called the Emerald Tutu, networks of floating vegetated canopies that aim to be adaptable to a variety of coastal environments and embodies all three disciplines necessary for NBS success. We will discuss results from physical tests of flood reduction, ecological tests, and community-supported efforts to deploy it in the field for a full-scale proof-of-concept.

Speaker: Julia Hopkins, Northeastern University

Room 350/372

Watch online here or attend in person.