Page 94 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2024

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
story by Christina Mohrman photo by Amanda Nalley
Living Shorelines
Salt marshes are essential for the health of our Coast. They are a nursery and home for more than 75 percent
of the seafood we eat, including fish, shrimp, and blue crabs. Marshes filter pollution to clean the water and absorb stormwater to reduce flooding. They also protect our shorelines from erosion and reduce storm surge during hurricanes.
Just like natural marshes, we can build “living shorelines” to protect coastal property, make the water cleaner, and provide habitats for fish and wildlife. Instead of using a bulkhead, a living shoreline is a more natural approach to stabilize shorelines and reduce erosion.
Made up of materials like native plants or oyster shells, living shorelines are typically less expensive to install and are easier to maintain than bulkheads. In a recent comparison, Mississippi State University Extension scientists found
living shorelines are more cost effective than bulkheads because they last longer, require less maintenance, and don’t require costly repairs from hurricane damage. They estimated a bulkhead costs about $30,000 to install and lasts up to 25 years. Compare that to a living shoreline, which can last 60 years or longer!
It can be difficult to find information on design and construction, cost, and permitting for living shorelines. To help, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance recently funded a project through our Gulf Star Program to identify the obstacles to living shoreline permitting and help train nearly 180 people in four states to navigate the permitting process. We’ve also created short fact sheets, an information catalog, and videos over the last few years. All of these resources are on our website gulfofmexicoalliance.org.
If you’re a local property owner and need help taking the next step towards your own living shoreline, our partners at the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant can also help. They
provide free technical assistance including shoreline assessments, site design, and
permitting support for property owners. Learn more and request a consultation at
msucoastal.com/living-shorelines.
And, if you want to see a living shoreline
firsthand, the Old Brick House (Biloxi), Camp Wilkes (Biloxi), and Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Moss Point) all have living shoreline sites with educational signs that highlight their important features.
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
94 | October 2024
@gulfofmexicoalliance