Living Shorelines for Coastal Resilience

Abstract A living shoreline (LS) is defined as an estuarine shoreline stabilization approach that primarily utilizes native shoreline habitats and preserves the natural land–water interface. This chapter describes the ability of natural fringing salt marshes to attenuate wave energy, trap sediment, and reduce shoreline erosion. It summarizes the adverse impacts of hardened stabilization structures such as bulkheads and revetments on ecosystem structure and function, including marsh vegetation and faunal utilization, as well as their reduced resilience to sea level rise (SLR) and coastal storms. A review of studies assessing LS projects shows that measures of ecosystem services, including erosion protection, sediment accretion, marsh production, carbon sequestration, and faunal utilization, can equal or exceed those of natural shoreline habitats within five years of establishment. Salt marshes, seagrasses, and oyster reefs are utilized in the LS projects reviewed. Widespread implementation of LS may be limited by regulatory policy and public perceptions. Habitat trade-offs and limited long-term protection from SLR are described.