Living Shorelines

      Coastal ecosystems across the Gulf of Mexico are threatened by shoreline erosion and the loss of highly productive oyster reefs, submerged vegetation, and emergent marsh wetlands. Private homeowners and environmental managers use a variety of shoreline restoration strategies to protect coastal systems and in recent years ‘living shoreline’ strategies have gained traction. Living shorelines incorporate natural materials such as wetland vegetation and oyster reefs to reduce nearshore wave activity, stabilize shoreline sediment, and promote ecosystem services. Living shorelines provide an alternative to traditional ‘shoreline hardening’ techniques and avoid some of their downfalls. However, most projects have been implemented somewhat independently, with variable monitoring requirements. This limits our ability to compare the effectiveness or sustainability of different restoration techniques across living shoreline sites. For this project, we are implementing a comprehensive monitoring program that measures the effectiveness of multiple large-scale Alabama living shoreline restoration projects across multiple ecological dimensions, including effects on shoreline erosion, wetland vegetation composition, submerged vegetation density, oyster reef development, and fisheries enhancement. Through this monitoring program, we are measuring the ‘success’ of each living shoreline project, describing the benefits and trappings of alternative restoration strategies, evaluating the efficacy of different monitoring methods, and ultimately helping to inform the design and siting of future restoration projects based on a clearer picture of the successes and limitations of previous individual projects.