As communities have developed around the Bays, long stretches of shoreline have been hardened with stone rip-rap or bulkheads. While these methods can be effective in halting erosion, they take a big toll on bay life, such as loss of natural shoreline for horseshoe crab spawning. The Center for the Inland Bays (CIB) Living Shoreline Initiative aims to turn the tide on this trend. Use of more natural alternatives for shoreline stabilization will provide more habitat for fish and wildlife and help rebuild tidal marshes lost to erosion and sea level rise.

This is the first of five planned projects to be installed around the Inland Bays that will demonstrate living shoreline materials and techniques.