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This project examines mangrove forests as resilient, sustainable, and non-invasive shoreline protection in subtropical and tropical areas. Hydrodynamic data were collected from idealized Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans forest models. The data were analyzed to identify trends between the heterogeneity of a mangrove forest and wave runup extents. Different species of mangroves have a distinctive root system which attributes to different coastal protection abilities. Shorter wave periods were most affected by mangrove configurations tested. Configurations dominated by R. mangle models resulted in overall smaller runup extents compared to configurations dominated by A. germinans models for the same wave conditions. 

Coastal and nearshore communities face increasing coastal flood hazards associated with climate change, leading to overland flow and inundation processes in the natural and built environments. As communities seek to build resilience to address these hazards, natural infrastructure (e.g., emergent vegetation) and hybrid designs have been identified for their potential to attenuate storm-driven waves and associated effects in developed nearshore regions. However, challenges remain in robustly characterizing the performance of natural systems under a range of incident hydrodynamic conditions and in bridging interdisciplinary knowledge gaps needed for successful implementation. This paper synthesizes field and laboratory results investigating the capacity of Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) systems to mitigate wave effects. Results indicate that R. mangle forests of moderate cross-shore width have significant effects on wave transformation and load reduction in sheltered inland areas. Opportunities for future interdisciplinary collaborations are also identified. 

Abstract Some textured silicone breast implants with high average surface roughness (‘macrotextured’) have been associated with a rare cancer of the immune system, Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). Silicone elastomer wear debris may lead to chronic inflammation, a key step in the development of this cancer. Here, we model the generation and release of silicone wear debris in the case of a folded implant-implant (‘shell-shell’) sliding interface for three different types of implants, characterized by their surface roughness. The ‘smooth’ implant shell with the lowest average surface roughness tested (R a = 2.7 ± 0.6 μ m) resulted in average friction coefficients of μ avg = 0.46 ± 0.11 across 1,000 mm of sliding distance and generated 1,304 particles with an average particle diameter of D avg = 8.3 ± 13.1 μ m. The ‘microtextured’ implant shell (R a = 32 ± 7.0 μ m) exhibited μ avg = 1.20 ± 0.10 and generated 2,730 particles with D avg = 4.7 ± 9.1 μ m. The ‘macrotextured’ implant shell (R a = 80 ± 10 μ m) exhibited the highest friction coefficients, μ avg = 2.82 ± 0.15 and the greatest number of wear debris particles, 11,699, with an average particle size of D avg = 5.3 ± 3.3 μ m. Our data may provide guidance for the design of silicone breast implants with lower surface roughness, lower friction, and smaller quantities of wear debris.