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Oral

River Restoration (Hydraulics & Waterways)

Planning Bank and Shoreline Stabilization for a Future World Using Multi-Species Habitat Mosaics

Wednesday, May 21, 2025
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT)
Room: Room 11 & 12
Abstract Submission: Societal interest to restore functionality to degraded ecosystems has moved beyond traditional restoration to include integration of nature-based features into built infrastructure as an emerging climate adaptation strategy. For instance, aquatic habitats such as emergent or submerged vegetation, shellfish reef, barrier islands and dunes function as natural infrastructure that may reduce risk of damage and loss related to flood and erosion hazards. This study investigates the impact of multiple complimentary living aquatic habitats designed in a spatially distributed mosaic to stabilize estuarine shorelines near vulnerable infrastructure. As part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Reefense program, a shoreline stabilization project consisting of mosaicked vegetation and shellfish habitats, including “self-healing, hybrid biological, and engineered reef-mimicking structures”, recruitment areas for submerged aquatic vegetation and planted marsh was undertaken near Tyndall Air Force Base on Florida’s Panhandle. This presentation will briefly describe the Reefense program objectives, detail the design and implementation of the habitat mosaic, and present preliminary results of hydrodynamic impact based on monitoring and modelling. Selection of appropriate design elevations for implementation of living materials in a site affected by sea level rise will be discussed in particular.

Learning Objectives/Expected Outcome (Optional) :