From Submerged Meadows to Mangrove-Planter Hybrid: Hydrodynamic Mechanisms for Nature-Based Coastal Protection
- Sponsor
- Water Resources Engineering and Science - CEE
- Speaker
- Dr. Jiarui "Gary" Lei - Assistant Professor - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - National University of Singapore
- Contact
- Jennifer Bishop
- jbishop4@illinois.edu
Abstract
Nature-based and hybrid solutions are increasingly used to support coastal and riverine protection, but their design still requires a clearer understanding of the hydrodynamic processes that control vegetation survival, sediment stability, and wave attenuation. In this talk, I will discuss recent laboratory studies that examine these processes across two connected settings: submerged aquatic vegetation in current-driven flows, and young mangrove seedlings protected by engineered planters under wave attack.Bio
Jiarui “Gary” Lei is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore. His research focuses on environmental fluid mechanics, flow–vegetation interactions, sediment transport, and nature-based solutions for coastal protection. His group studies how aquatic vegetation interacts with currents and waves, and how these processes can inform the design of resilient coastal and riverine systems. He received his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT in 2019, and his B.S. degrees from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2014.