What is a Living Shoreline?
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.
