NEWS AND VIEWS

21 October 2026

Salt-marsh plants can protect inland areas against huge waves — but seemingly only up to a point, and big storms cause progressive damage.

By

Rusty A. Feagin Rusty A. Feagin is in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology and the Department of Ocean Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77845, USA.

M. Luisa Martínez M. Luisa Martínez is at the Network of Functional Ecology, Institute of Ecology (INECOL), Xalapa 91073, Mexico.

Plants and other organisms can reduce the erosion of coasts by winds and waves. The physical structures of sand-dune and wetland plants, seagrasses, oysters and macroalgae can slow the flow of water and wind, capture sediment and modify soil. Over time, these organisms can also build land, store greenhouse gases, provide habitats for other species and beautify beaches and wetlands 1 . In some cases, they can be used as a nature-based solution in place of engineered structures.…