Lagoons and coastal semi-enclosed basins morphologically evolve depending on local
waves, currents, and tidal conditions. In very shallow water depths, typical of tidal flats and mudflats,
the bed shear stress due to the wind waves is a key factor governing sediment resuspension. A current
line of research focuses on the distribution of wave shear stress with depth, this being a very important
aspect related to the dynamic equilibrium of transitional areas. In this work a relevant contribution
to this study is provided, by means of the comparison between experimental growth curves which
predict the finite depth wave characteristics and the numerical results obtained by means a spectral
model. In particular, the dominant role of the bottom friction dissipation is underlined, especially
in the presence of irregular and heterogeneous sea beds. The effects of this energy loss on the wave
field is investigated, highlighting that both the variability of the wave period and the relative bottom
roughness can change the bed shear stress trend substantially.
