MANGROVE AND ITS IMPACTS ON WATER WAVES: A MODEL-SCALE LABORATORY STUDY USING 3D REPLICAS OF TYPICAL RHIZOPHORA

Abstract

Mangroves, a major type of nature-based solution in the tropics and subtropics, were evidenced capable of reducing wave energy in tsunami and storm events. The typical species, Rhizophora with its complex root system, was found effective in wave attenuation (Tanaka et al. 2007) and was studied experimentally using artificial tree models (e.g. Maza et al. 2019). To investigate the impacts of mangrove roots on water waves at a finer scale, we conducted experiments using 3D-printed models that replicated the geometry of natural Rhizophora. This study discusses the resistance of mangrove roots and their impacts on fluid velocity and turbulence.