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HYDROLOGY

The barriers of Venice

Nature Geoscience volume 14, pages 881–882 (2021)Cite this article

Storm surge barriers can protect against coastal flooding. Observations from the Venice Lagoon in Italy show that the operation of these types of barriers must be carefully tuned to avoid inhibiting sedimentation and compromising marsh resilience to sea-level rise.

Salt marshes are important natural ecosystems that are valued for their coastal protection services, as a habitat for many species, and for their abilities to uptake atmospheric carbon and filter pollutants7. The resilience of salt marshes to sea-level rise depends on local hydrodynamics and sediment availability, which in turn can be influenced by coastal management practices8,9,10. Storm-surge barrier installation is a tempting, but expensive, intervention for lagoons or estuaries; the strategically placed barriers can protect large stretches of coastline susceptible to flooding. When the Mo.S.E. system is inactive, the gates are filled with water and rest on their housing caissons below the surface. To raise the gates, compressed air is introduced inside, forcing out the water. The gates then remain operational for the duration of the high-water event. Afterwards, they are filled with water and once again sink below the surface1,2.

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  1. University of Liverpool, School of Environmental Sciences, Roxby Building, Liverpool, UK

    Nicoletta Leonardi

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  1. Nicoletta Leonardi
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Correspondence to Nicoletta Leonardi.

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Leonardi, N. The barriers of Venice. Nat. Geosci. 14, 881–882 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00864-4

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