SELC Launches Living Shorelines Project

SELC recently hosted more than 50 of our partners and national and regional policymakers at our one-day roundtable, Living Shorelines, in Richmond Hills, GA, to promote the use of living shorelines as an alternative to seawalls and bulkheads. Collaborating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, coastal groups, and other agencies and partners that are part of our Living Shorelines project, we shared ideas and strategies for supporting the use of living shorelines.

A more natural approach for erosion control that lasts for 50 years or more, living shorelines are constructed by cutting back the shore to reduce wave energy; planting vegetation to anchor the bank and counter wave impact; and placing an oyster reef to act as a breakwater. These shorelines serve as a critical aquatic habitat for many species, including shrimp, oysters, and other marine life essential to water and shore health.