Fish Eye View of a Living Shoreline in Pensacola Bay

Take a virtual snorkel tour!

Searobin king-of-the-salmon beaked salmon humuhumunukunukuapua’a pejerrey hawkfish yellowbanded perch thornyhead tripod fish eucla cod remora river shark. Arowana, “freshwater flyingfish wobbegong dhufish mooneye,” shiner blacktip reef shark sheepshead pilot fish tench naked-back knifefish, Reedfish Redfin perch. Bluntnose knifefish whale shark zebra bullhead shark righteye flounder central mudminnow.

Project GreenShores

Our coasts are in trouble! Erosion and disappearing habitats threaten the Gulf of Mexico. Luckily, there's a new way to fight back: living shorelines.

Project GreenShores is a multi-phase effort in downtown Pensacola along the urban shoreline of Pensacola Bay, Florida that uses living shorelines to restore the coast. These shorelines use natural materials like oyster reefs and marsh plants, coupled with breakwaters made from rocks and oyster shells to create calm areas behind them to protect the land and create healthy habitats for fish and shellfish. So far, Project GreenShores has restored nearly 50 acres of oyster reefs and marsh! Project GreenShores has been a success - it has withstood hurricanes and continues to thrive.

To understand how the living shorelines affect fish, we conducted underwater video surveys. We filmed different habitats within the project area, like the restored reefs and new marshes, and at control sites to see how the fish communities differed. We also collected videos in fall and spring to see how the seasons affected the fish. This will help us understand how well the living shorelines are working to create healthy fish habitats, making Project GreenShores a model for future coastal restoration initiatives.

This work was supported with funding from a Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Community Grant
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Fish Eye View of a Living Shoreline

Take a virtual snorkel tour of Pensacola Bay!

What is a Living Shoreline?
About Project GreenShores
Our Methods Back to project information
Breakwater

Breakwaters are offshore structures built to protect shorelines. They “break” the waves, playing a crucial role in reducing shoreline erosion, increasing sediment buildup, and promoting the growth of marsh plants and submerged aquatic vegetation.

Control Hardened Shoreline

The Control Hardened shoreline habitats are built with riprap, and are located to the northeast and southwest of the Project GreenShores sites. They represent one of the most common forms of hardened shoreline protection.

Control Offshore

Our offshore control sites are parallel to the hardened shoreline control sites. To determine how far offshore we sampled, we estimated the distance between one of our other habitats, the breakwaters, and their closest shoreline.

GreenShores Hardened Shoreline

Hardened shorelines refer to the artificial structures installed to fortify or “harden” where water meets land. Riprap, bulkheads, and seawalls are the most common shoreline hardening techniques.

Marsh Edge

The marsh edge is a dynamic and ecologically significant zone where terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems converge. It is also a vital boundary that helps reduce erosion and stabilize the shoreline, protecting the land and human infrastructure.

Oyster Reef

Oyster reefs are a natural alternative to traditional hardening or restoration techniques, providing valuable fish habitat, promoting larval oyster settlement, and many other ecosystem benefits.

Sandy Bottom

Sandy bottom areas have no notable structures or characteristics, unlike the other habitats we sample, and are simply bare patches of ground. However, they are still within the living shoreline restoration sites at Project GreenShores.