Living Shorelines

Living shorelines are combinations of vegetation planted along a shoreline and a structure to help hold the vegetation in place. They are primarily installed to protect shorelines from erosion as an alternative to hardened infrastructure like bulkheads or riprap. In the Gulf of Mexico, the structural component of the living shoreline is usually a breakwater and can be made of a variety of materials, including bagged oyster shell, granite, eco-concrete, and reef balls or blocks. Living shorelines can be implemented at small scales by individual property owners or as larger projects that are hundreds of meters to a kilometer long. Larger living shoreline projects are often aimed at protecting marsh or coastal infrastructure.
Outcomes & Metrics
Outcomes for project types may be strongly or weakly linked, or if not labeled as such, not designated. Resilience-linked outcomes are marked with "R."
See all GEMS metrics, including full descriptions. Click on any metric below to jump directly to its details.
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Cultural Values - Knowledge (R)
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Economic Activity - Restoration/Intervention (R)
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Property Protection & Value - Property Protection (Erosion) (R)
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Cultural Values - Other (R)
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Economic Activity - Finfish/Shellfish Harvest (R)
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Economic Activity - Recreation and Tourism (R)
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Human Health - Food Security for Communities (R)
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Human Health - Mental Health & Psychological Well-Being (R)
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Social Cost of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (R)
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