A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirms what erosion control professionals have long known: When it comes to coastal protection, natural or combination systems offer more benefits than built infrastructure alone.
The study highlights the water-quality, habitat-related, and recreational benefits of marshes and reefs, as well as those of hybrid systems like living shorelines, which combine built structures with vegetation.
“Built infrastructure only provides benefits when storms are approaching, but natural and hybrid systems provide additional benefits, including opportunities for fishing and recreation, all the time,” says Ariana Sutton-Grier, Ph.D., the study’s lead author.
In addition to providing buffers against coastal erosion and storm surges, marshes and other natural systems are largely self-maintaining and can often recover after a storm. However, the study also cites the benefits of built structures like flood gates that can be opened and closed, or removable flood walls that supplement natural approaches. It also calls for increased monitoring of different approaches to learn which work best under different coastal conditions.
You can find the complete study here.
Janice Kaspersen
Janice Kaspersen is the former editor of Erosion Control and Stormwater magazines.
