The Brief
- Living shorelines replace hard infrastructure like seawalls with natural elements such as marsh grasses, mangroves, oyster reefs and rock to reduce erosion and absorb wave energy.
- A project in St. Pete Beach’s Vina Del Mar neighborhood is examining barriers for private homeowners, including cost, permitting and engineering challenges.
- Supporters say living shorelines can improve storm resilience, water quality and marine habitat, while potentially offering a long-term alternative to aging seawalls.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – As hurricane season approaches, a St. Pete Beach neighborhood is testing a different approach to protecting waterfront property — one that swaps concrete for nature.
The project in the Vina Del Mar neighborhood, behind the Don Cesar, is part of an effort looking at whether more private homeowners can adopt “living shorelines” instead of traditional seawalls.
What are living shorelines?
Dig deeper:
Living shorelines use natural materials like marsh grasses, mangroves, oyster reefs, rocks and other native coastal features to absorb wave energy and reduce erosion, while also creating habitat for marine life and improving water quality.…