![]() While there is ongoing uncertainty regarding these processes, the widespread loss of valuable, healthy, vegetated intertidal ecosystems due to SLR (including many Ramsar listed wetlands of international importance) is a likely outcome in many locations 24. Additionally, vertical accretion rates may be limited by sediment supply or the organic matter accumulation rate. In many coastal settings, the horizontal migration of wetlands towards more elevated surrounding areas is not possible due to physical barriers, environmental conditions, or socio-economic complexities (e.g. On the contrary, a number of recent studies suggest that increases in the global intertidal wetland area is possible under SLR 6, 10, 23, however, these potential increases rely on accretion rates (vertical) and the availability of space to accommodate the landward (horizontal) migration of wetlands. The already accelerating rates of SLR 21 pose a growing threat to intertidal wetlands and studies predict the submergence of 20–78% of worldwide coastal wetlands by 2100 22. Recent updated IPCC projections of global mean SLR by 2100 range from 0.61 to 1.10 m (RCP 8.5, likely range 17, 18) and a number of studies suggest that, due to large uncertainties in the stability of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, scenarios of over 2 m by 2100 are within the possible range 18, 19, 20. For example, during the period 1984–2016, approximately 16% of the global surface area covered by intertidal flats was lost, primarily due to human activities and regionally-variable SLR 14, 15, 16. Significant losses in intertidal ecosystems have been reported over the last decades due to human activities 12, 13. At the same time, these ecosystems are among the most vulnerable environments to sea level rise (SLR) as they are located adjacent to the open sea, have a low-lying landscape and dense vegetation population 11. ![]() These services either directly or indirectly influence human well-being, highlighting that vegetated intertidal ecosystems are significantly valuable and economically important 8, 9, 10. These ecosystems are vital to the ecological functioning of estuaries and provide enormous ecosystem services 1, including the provision of habitat 2, supporting commercial and non-commercial fisheries 3, providing water storage and purification 4, flood regulation 5 and carbon sequestration 6, 7. Vegetated intertidal ecosystems, such as mangroves and saltmarshes, are located at the interface between land and sea. This solution can play an important role in the global effort to conserve coastal wetlands under accelerating SLR. This equates to a saving of US$230 billion in ecosystem services per year. If applied globally, this method can protect high value coastal wetlands with similar environmental settings, including over 1,184,000 ha of Ramsar coastal wetlands. Results from aerial drone surveys and on-ground vegetation sampling indicated that the Tidal Replicate Method effectively established saltmarsh onsite over a 3-year period of post-restoration, showing the method is able to protect endangered intertidal ecosystems from submersion. As a proof of concept study, this method was applied at an intertidal wetland with the aim of restabilising saltmarsh vegetation at a location representative of SLR. This synthetic tidal regime can then be applied via automated tidal control systems, “SmartGates”, at suitable locations. The new ‘Tidal Replicate Method’ involves the creation of a synthetic tidal regime that mimics the desired hydroperiod for intertidal wetlands. Here, we propose a novel eco-engineering solution to protect highly valued vegetated intertidal ecosystems. Climate change driven Sea Level Rise (SLR) is creating a major global environmental crisis in coastal ecosystems, however, limited practical solutions are provided to prevent or mitigate the impacts.
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