Wave transformation on the mangrove-mud coast of Demak, Indonesia

In this paper the typical hydrodynamics on mangrove-mud coasts are studied. Worldwide, these coasts experience serious erosion problems, and while the importance of mangrove ecosystems is becoming widely recognised, mangrove restoration projects frequently fail due to poor understanding of the system, especially the hydrodynamics. Therefore, a landscape model of the eroding coastline of the Demak district in Indonesia is developed to analyse the typical hydrodynamics associated to mangrove-mud coasts. Owing to the fine sediment, these coastlines are characterised by gentle slopes, in the order of 1:1000 or less. Both the theoretical and numerical wave transformation have to be re-evaluated on such slopes, which is done by combining models with field measurements. Also the current patterns and density effects are studied in detail to generate a full understanding of the hydrodynamics on mangrove-mud coasts.