Living Shorelines
Introduction
This type of shoreline defense uses natural designs and organisms to help buffer communities against increasing forces caused by climate change and sea level rise.
Types of Living Shoreline Defenses
Coral Reefs
These lie further out to sea and can help reduce storm impact before it even reaches the shore.
Shellfish Reefs
There can exist right along the shoreline or slightly out in front of this line. The shellfish help reduce water pollution, ocean acidification, and also help protect against incoming waves.
Mangroves
These specialized forest systems are specially evolved to manage saline water, though different species will generally exist at different areas of the mangrove forest depending on the amount of moisture and salinity that they can handle.
Benefits of Living Shorelines
Reduction of Air Pollution
Carbon Sequestration
Shellfish reefs and mangroves both help absorb carbon. Coral reefs also support organisms that sequester carbon.
Cleaner Water
Living organisms including shellfish and trees help absorb pollutants. When oyster reefs and mangroves were stripped away, communities noticed their water quality became much dirtier, both harder to see in as well as more likely to cause illness to swimmers or others interacting with the water.
Corals (including glass corals), shellfish, kelp, and plants can help reduce the amount of viruses, bacteria, and other pollutants coming from land into the sea. This in turn protects the wildlife who live in the ocean, which coastal communities rely on for economic and food security purposes.