Bed level dynamics at the interface of the salt marsh and tidal flat have been highlighted as a key factor connecting the long-term biogeomorphological development of the marsh to large-scale physical forcing. Hence, we aim to obtain insight into the factors confining the location of the marsh edge (i.e., boundary between tidal flat and salt marsh). A unique data set was collected, containing measurements of daily bed level changes (i.e., integrative result of physical forcing and sediment properties) at six intertidal transects in the North Sea area. Moreover, various biophysical parameters were measured, such as sediment characteristics, waves, inundation time, and chlorophyll-a levels. The data show that both bed level change and waves decreased from the lower intertidal flat toward the marsh edge and further diminished inside the marsh. However, no direct general relation was found between waves and bed level change. Bed level change inside the marsh was always small, regardless of wave energy. By combining the data sets, we demonstrate that the location of the lower marsh edge is restricted by two interacting factors: inundation time and bed level change. For vegetation establishment to withstand longer inundation stress, which slows down plant growth, more stable bed levels are required so that plants are not heavily disturbed. Conversely, to withstand more dynamic bed levels that disturbs plant growth, lower inundation stress is needed, so that plants grow fast enough to recover from the stress. The results suggest that bed level change is important in determining the position of the marsh edge.

Vegetation-wave interactions are critical in determining the capacity of coastal salt marshes to reduce wave energy (wave dissipation), enhance sedimentation and protect the shoreline from erosion. While vegetation-induced wave dissipation is increasingly recognized in low wave energy environments, little is known about: (i) the effect of vegetation on wave dissipation during storms when wave heights and water levels are highest; and (ii) the ability of different plant species to dissipate waves and to maintain their integrity under storm surge conditions. Experiments undertaken in one of the world's largest wave flumes allowed, for the first time, the study of vegetation-wave interactions at near-field scale, under wave heights ranging from 0.1–0.9 m (corresponding to orbital velocities of 2–91 cm s⁻¹) and water depths up to 2 m, in canopies of two typical NW European salt marsh grasses: Puccinellia maritima (Puccinellia) and Elymus athericus (Elymus). Results indicate that plant flexibility and height, as well as wave conditions and water depth, play an important role in determining how salt marsh vegetation interacts with waves. Under medium conditions (orbital velocity 42–63 cm s⁻¹), the effect of Puccinellia and Elymus on wave orbital velocities varied with water depth and wave period. Under high water levels (2 m) and long wave periods (4.1 s), within the flexible, low-growing Puccinellia canopy orbital velocity was reduced by 35% while in the more rigid, tall Elymus canopy deflection and folding of stems occurred and no significant effect on orbital velocity was found. Under low water levels (1 m) and short wave periods (2.9 s) by contrast, Elymus reduced near-bed velocity more than Puccinellia. Under high orbital velocities (≥74 cm s⁻¹), flattening of the canopy and an increase of orbital velocity was observed for both Puccinellia and Elymus. Stem folding and breakage in Elymus at a threshold orbital velocity ≥ 42 cm s⁻¹ coincided with a levelling-off in the marsh wave dissipation capacity, while Puccinellia survived even extreme wave forces without physical damage. These findings suggest a species-specific control of wave dissipation by salt marshes which can potentially inform predictions of the wave dissipation capacity of marshes and their resilience to storm surge conditions.

A full-scale controlled experiment was conducted on an excavated and re-assembled coastal wetland surface, typical of floristically diverse northwest European saltmarsh. The experiment was undertaken with true-to-scale water depths and waves in a large wave flume, in order to assess the impact of storm surge conditions on marsh surface soils, initially with three different plant species and then when this marsh canopy had been mowed. The data presented suggests a high bio-geomorphological resilience of salt marshes to vertical sediment removal, with less than 0.6cm average vertical lowering in response to a sequence of simulated storm surge conditions. Both organic matter content and plant species exerted an important influence on both the variability and degree of soil surface stability, with surfaces covered by a flattened canopy of the salt marsh grass Puccinellia experiencing a lower and less variable elevation loss than those characterized by Elymus or Atriplex that exhibited considerable physical damage through stem folding and breakage.