SBIR Phase I: The Emerald Tutu

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提供一个近岸（就在有人居住的沿海土地的近海，浅水中）解决方案，以减少沿海洪水。拟议的项目解决了减少以海堤和其他屏障形式的碳密集型混凝土为基础的重型防洪解决方案的需求。这个项目将原型化一个相互连接的漂浮生长垫网络，用于在水面上播种沼泽草，在水下播种海藻。这些垫子的大量生物量和它们作为一个大型互联群体的网络特性提供了减少波浪和风暴潮的能力。一个建议的交钥匙套件提供了一个低成本的系统，随时可部署和扩展。此外，作为一个漂浮的公园般的海洋景观，它对周围的社区有许多共同的好处。作为以植物为基础的基础设施，它可以作为本地沼泽草和当地海藻的栖息地，提供新的栖息地并改善水质。SBIR一期项目是一种自然海岸弹性技术，设计为预制，模块化，易于实施，适用于各种沿海环境和社区。该技术由连接在网络中的坚固的植被垫组成，并部署在近岸。水平线以上是当地各种半水生沼泽植物群，水平线以下是水生海藻。验证该方法的研究目标包括比较垫网在一系列流动条件下的性能，包括极端波浪，为垫网设计提供信息。第二个研究重点将通过原位部署垫结构来测量生物量积累和生态性能。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide a nearshore (just offshore of inhabited coastal land, in shallow water) solution to reduce coastal flooding. The proposed project addresses a need to lessen heavy flood protection solutions based on carbon-intensive concrete in the form of seawalls and other barriers. This project will prototype an interconnected network of floating growth mats, made to seed marsh grass above the water and seaweed below. The heavy biomass of these mats and their network properties as a large interconnected group provides wave and storm surge reduction. A proposed turnkey kit offers a low-cost system, readily deployable and expandable over time. Additionally, as a floating park-like marine landscape, it has many co-benefits to the surrounding communities. As plant-based infrastructure, it serves as a site for native marsh grasses and local seaweeds to populate, providing new habitats and improving water quality. This SBIR Phase I project is a natural coastal resilience technology designed to be pre-fabricated, modular, and easy to implement for a variety of coastal environments and communities. The technology consists of robust vegetated mats linked in a network and deployed in the nearshore. The mats are colonized by local varieties of semi-aquatic marsh flora above the water line, and aquatic seaweeds below. Research objectives to validate this approach include comparing mat network performance in a range of flow conditions, including extreme waves, to inform mat design. A second research thrust will measure biomass accumulation and ecological performance through in situ deployments of mat structures.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.