Written by Carolyn Kovacs
Florida Sea Grant Agent with UF/IFAS Extension Volusia and Flagler Counties
Have you ever heard of a living shoreline? Living shorelines use natural materials such as plants, oysters, and rocks to help stabilize shorelines from erosion. An added benefit of living shorelines is that they maintain and improve wildlife habitat and support the resilience of coastal communities. Living shorelines are a nature-based solution that is growing in popularity as an alternative to “hard stabilization” or the use of seawalls. Although seawalls may be the best option in some cases, living shorelines have benefits including a also providing ecological benefits, a lower price point, growing and strengthening over time, and aesthetic appeal.
Living shorelines use appropriate plant species to stabilize sediment along the shoreline of an estuary. In Flagler and Volusia Counties that is usually smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora and red, black, or white mangroves. They may also include hard structures made of oyster shells and concrete to serve as a breakwater. These structures are placed in the water and attract young oysters, known as spat. The spat attach and grow on the structure, strengthening it over time. Any work that is done below the mean high water line, including planting mangroves or placing breakwaters, will require a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
If you are interested in installing a living shoreline, it is important to know the regulations, permitting process, and how to properly design and install each of the components. The Florida Sea Grant program at UF/IFAS Extension has developed a two-day Living Shorelines Practitioner Training course to provide education on just this! The course is open to marine contractors, landscape designers, municipal governments, environmental organizations, residents, and anyone else interested in learning more about living shorelines. The course includes modules on benefits of living shorelines, design, permitting, implementation, maintenance, and monitoring.
The Living Shorelines Practitioner Training course will be offered in Flagler and Volusia Counties on September 30-October 1. The classroom portion of the course will take place at the UF/IFAS Extension Flagler County office in Bunnell, and the site visit portion of the course will take place at Tomoka State Park in Volusia County. The course has a $50 fee and includes the course manual, the Living Shorelines for Florida book, and lunch. You can find the full details and register online at
https://LivingShorelinesFlaglerCounty.eventbrite.com.
Flagler and Volusia Counties have some great examples of living shorelines that you can visit. Several of our state parks have used living shorelines to combat erosion along the intracoastal waterways, including at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park and Tomoka State Park. In addition there is a public shoreline at the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach or you can arrange a site visit to the living shorelines installed at Riverside Conservancy in Edgewater. These sites provide a wonderful educational opportunity and a fun day exploring our coastal ecosystems! You can learn more about living shorelines at www.FloridaLivingShorelines.com.
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