Advancing Marine Sustainability through Digital Twin What-If Scenarios in Nature Based Solutions

Digitalization, particularly through the utilization of digital twins of the ocean, can play a significant role in advancing the sustainable development of the marine environment. The Digital Twin (DT) creates a digital replica of the ocean, enabling testing of various What-If scenarios, such as the impacts of sea level rise, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), as well as the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation plans. DTs provide insights into ocean conditions, ecosystems, and human effects, guiding decisions for sustainable resource use. DT-based What-If scenarios in NBS foster cooperation among stakeholders in shared oceanic spaces, enabling data-driven decisions and collaboration. This platform serves for decision-making and management strategies aimed at fostering the sustainable utilization of ocean resources. Such an application is a Digital Twin strategy in designed experiments for nature-based solutions.  It can be employed to evaluate the effects of sea level rise and wave actions on seagrass meadows; and evaluate different management approaches to enhance resilience, while assessing diverse management tactics for bolstering resilience. We demonstrate how Digital twins of the coastal ocean can contribute by aiding decision-making through the use of Whar-If scenarios for coastal protection against erosion and sediment transport by sea level rise, while also ensuring the preservation of coastal biodiversity. By monitoring and optimizing solutions through digital twins, effectiveness and long-term sustainability are heightened, necessitating collaborative efforts for coastline protection and ecosystem preservation.

To further support the coastal restoration (e.g. of seagrass meadows), digital twin technology can be utilized to monitor and model the climate (e.g. sea level rise) and human induced effects on coastal ecosystems. The collaborative efforts for nature based solution as coastline protection and ecosystem preservation are demonstrated in various coastal areas around the Global coast (e.g., in the North Atlantic, Wadden Sea coast, Danube-western Black Sea, Mediterranean coast, Eastern coast of Ghana) In the context of nature-based solutions, a digital twin help identifying areas where seagrass is most vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise and evaluate different management strategies to promote resilience. In addition to seagrass restoration, other nature-based solutions can effectively address the impacts of sea level rise. These solutions include the restoration of wetlands, dunes, and mangroves, as well as the implementation of green infrastructure such as bioswales and green roofs. Coastal communities can play a critical role in implementing and supporting nature-based solutions. This includes engaging in community-based monitoring and restoration efforts, as well as advocating for policies that prioritize nature-based solutions for coastal protection. The integration of digital twin technology with community efforts can foster a collaborative and data-driven approach to sustainable coastal management and resilience.