Field Experiments and Meta-analysis Reveal Wetland Vegetation as a Crucial Element in the Coastal Protection Paradigm (Current Biology)

Silliman et al. employ field experiments and meta-analysis to show that, contrary to recent lab work, salt marsh plants protect shorelines from erosion. This work substantiates a coastal protection paradigm that incorporates coastal wetlands and highlights disturbances that kill marsh plants as major forces that can indirectly drive coastal erosion.