IHCantabria starts SALIENTS project testing to protect coasts from erosion

In addition to contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge, the results obtained in the SALIENTS project will have a direct impact on coastal management and on the implementation of mitigation measures against climate change.                       

The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria) has recently begun a series of mobile bed tests in the Directional Wave Tank (DWT) at the Higher Technical School of Civil Engineering, Universidad de Cantabria, to study the behavior of freestanding breakwaters parallel to the coast, especially submerged ones, as an innovative and environmentally friendly coastal protection measure against erosion.

Currently, the effect of submerged freestanding structures on the shoreline remains unknown, and these experiments aim to answer several key questions: What happens to the beach when different types of submerged freestanding breakwaters are placed in front of it? How much protection do these structures offer? How much sand can they accumulate?

The main objective of this research is to improve scientific and technical knowledge about the behavior of these structures, thus generating a solid experimental base that allows the validation of numerical models and the development of future predictive formulations. The results of these tests will be useful for the design of more sustainable and effective coastal solutions. They will also serve to calibrate and adapt previously developed numerical models, contributing to the advancement of knowledge about coastal dynamics.

During these laboratory tests, different structural typologies will be used: from low-crested breakwaters, to completely submerged structures, including narrow structures emulating artificial breakwaters and wide structures simulating natural or artificial reefs. The experiments are carried out with mobile sediment in order to determine the shape that the coastline adopts under each configuration, which will curve, generating a sand overhang towards the sea in the area sheltered by the structure.

These tests are part of the project “Analysis of the response of the coastline with submerged freestanding structures” (SALIENTS), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities—through the 2023 Knowledge Generation call of the Spanish State Research Agency—and co-financed by the European Union through the ERDF. The objective of the SALIENTS project is to develop a model capable of predicting the evolution of the coastline protected by submerged freestanding structures.

Led by the Coastal Engineering and Management Group of IHCantabria, the SALIENTS project brings together an international, multidisciplinary team studying beach behavior and the mechanisms that lead to the formation of sandbars (tombolos and headlands) on beaches at risk of erosion.

The work of the IHCantabria team is an essential part of the SALIENTS project,  aiming to improve scientific and technical knowledge about the behavior of beaches affected by these structures. It is worth noting that these tests are being carried out as part of the doctoral thesis of Arnau Garcia,a predoctoral researcher at the institute, who is in charge of the project’s execution and leads the experimental campaign.

This physical modeling started in August 2025 and will continue until the end of January 2026. The conclusions of this experimental campaign are expected to represent a significant advance in knowledge to improve the design and management of infrastructure aimed at protecting and increasing the resilience of coastlines against climate change and erosion.

The SALIENTS project (PID2023-153343OA-I00) will be funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through the 2023 Knowledge Generation call of the State Research Agency, and co-financed by the European Union through FEDER