April 2, 2015 โ The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Protecting estuarine shorelines from erosion due to wind and wave energy has traditionally been accomplished through the use of hardened structures such as vertical sheet bulkheads, stone revetments, groins, and sills. But for more than a decade, a softer, more ecologically beneficial approach has been gaining popularity in the Mid-Atlantic region with both public and private waterfront property owners.
Living shoreline projects use a variety of structural and organic materials, such as wetland plants, submerged aquatic vegetation, oyster reefs, sand fill, and stone. In the right setting, a living shoreline can not only provide shoreline protection, but also help improve water quality and habitat for a variety of terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals.
Read our new online story about living shoreline projects from our Habitat Conservation Division.
Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-9175 or email Jennifer.Goebel@noaa.gov