Lunch & Learn: Assessing Shoreline Protection & Oyster Habitat

Lunch & Learn Description: Living shorelines are promoted for their capacity to build coastal resilience and provide a wide range of ecological benefits typically associated with natural habitats. In Virginia, a primary goal of living shorelines is to provide coastal protection (e.g. wave attenuation and shoreline stabilization), whereas a common secondary goal may include salt marsh and/or oyster habitat creation. While a large proportion of living shoreline research has focused on evaluating ecological processes, the consistency and extent to which living shorelines provide coastal protection services requires further research to ensure projects are meeting primary and secondary goals for short-term and long-term ecological benefits. In this presentation, tools and approaches employed to assess shoreline protection and oyster habitat creation will be discussed and preliminary results will be shared to inform best practices and living shoreline designs.