What’s going on?

Human actions, like coastal development, rapidly increase or intensify erosion along the shoreline. Sea-level rise and more intense storms exacerbate the issue.

Creating barriers between the water and land by using seawalls and similar hard structures have been one approach to combating erosion. However, these do not provide ecosystem services, such as better water quality or habitat for wildlife. They can even sometimes disturb natural processes and increase erosion by fueling wave energy.

A living shoreline is a relatively new erosion management practice that uses natural materials like oysters, mangroves, and salt marsh grasses to restore or enhance the shoreline. This practice also keeps some of the ecosystem services mentioned before intact.

There are currently projects in Cedar Key, Panama City, Jensen Beach, and many other locations statewide.

Why it matters.

Living shorelines decrease erosion, but they also provide countless other benefits. They provide habitat for many species, improve water quality, store carbon, and absorb wave energy. These benefits will become increasingly relevant as Floridians continue to see the impacts of climate change.

Shoreline stabilization is also critical for coastal property owners and important to Florida’s tourism industry. Florida’s water resources are crucial to the state’s economy and environment, from recreation to biodiversity to fishing industries.

Living shorelines provide environmentally compatible solutions to protect and conserve those resources.

What you can do.

 

Info from Florida Sea Grant and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Image from Florida Sea Grant on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).