After Hurricanes Irma and Maria, over 11% of Puerto Rico’s coral reefs were damaged. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, along with NOAA, FEMA and other local partners assessed damages and conducted emergency reattachment of corals, resulting in approximately 16,000 corals over 63 sites in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

As part of a larger effort to restore vital submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat in Chesapeake Bay -- primarily eelgrass (Zostera marina) -- three sites in the Potomac River were chosen for replanting. Project practitioners employed a mechanical harvesting boat to collect eelgrass reproductive shoots, which were then stored at an aquaculture facility before seedling.

Tidal marsh at the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware has been degraded by impounded freshwater drowning out marsh plants, as well as salt water intrusion from storm events. To reduce impounded water and restore functioning salt marshes, 30 miles of channels were dredged across 4,000 acres of tidal marsh.  

Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge, located on Delaware Bay’s Western shore, was severely degraded due to sea-level rise, storms, and anthropogenic pressures. These issues led to over 1,600 hectares of freshwater marsh and 240 hectares of riparian forest impacted or lost. This project restored habitat, nourished shorelines, and increased resiliency of the refuge. 

Coral reefs off the west coast of Maui are readily accessible and heavily used by visitors and locals alike. To restore declining reef habitats suffering from excessive algae growth, Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources implemented a herbivore protection plan that restricts extraction of herbivorous fish and invertebrates from the reefs.

Batiquitos Lagoon’s diverse ecosystems was degraded in the 20th century because of heavy agricultural and residential, and transportation runoff. Restoration efforts began in 1997 by local government. Major constructions involved dredging sand from central basin for beach replenishment (1994 – 1995) and placing fine sediment materials from the western into central basin to construct lagoon mouth jetties (1995 – 1996).

The goal for restoration of the marsh located on the campus of the Rocky Hill School along the Potowomut River in East Greenwich, RI is to improve habitat for a recently discovered population of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin). The project assembled a dataset and developed a plan to restore the marsh to increase diamondback terrapin nesting habitat.

Tampa Bay was designated an "estuary of national significance" by Congress in 1990, paving the way for development of a long-term blueprint for bay restoration through the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. A long-term restoration plan was made in restoring coastal wetlands and benthic habitats, including 1,000 hectares of seagrass beds.

Rising temperatures threaten coral reefs, which dissipate wave and storm energy to protect nearby shorelines for nearly 200 million people worldwide. To enhance coastal protection, this novel project will identify thermally tolerant coral stocks, propagate in nurseries and outplant at three sites on O’ahu, Hawai’i.

The Bolsa Chica wetland restoration was the largest coastal wetland restorations ever undertaken in Southern California (Amigos, 2008). The project restored full and muted tidal wetlands function to almost 600 acres of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands that were degraded by agricultural and urban development.

Coastal erosion has repeatedly damaged bike paths and parking lots near Ventura, California. Local groups took a decade to agree on the decision to retreat from the ocean to rehabilitate the beach instead of constructing harden structure that limit recreational opportunities.

The Sonoma Baylands project recreated tidal wetlands that were diked and drained around 1900 and later separated by two major transportation corridors. The project used 2.0 million cubic meters of dredged material to create an intertidal template that accelerated tidal marsh restoration.

The Maidford River Saltmarsh Restoration Project in the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island spans 11 acres of degraded saltmarsh. The marsh is degraded by storm surges, development, redirection of riverine input, and sea-level rise. This project restored marsh habitat and elevation through thin-layer placement of dredged material. 

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maryland Conservation Corps, the Friends of Blackwater and community volunteers to restore 10 acres of salt marsh in the northern and central portions of Barren Island.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maryland Conservation Corps, the Friends of Blackwater and community volunteers to restore 10 acres of salt marsh in the northern and central portions of Barren Island.

The San Francisco Bay Living Shorelines Project is implementing oyster reef and eelgrass bed restoration at two locations to demonstrate the ability of living shorelines to protect coastal infrastructure and communities while enhancing biodiversity. The oyster reefs and eelgrass beds successfully reduce wave energy, minimizing erosion and decreasing flood risks for the coastline. 

The San Juan Bay Estuary Program (SJBEP) conducted a risk determination and vulnerability assessment for the San Juan Bay estuary. They also engaged the communities that live and work around the bay through workshops and on-site discussions. The estuary program is now implementing measures to improve the resiliency of coastal wetlands and coral reefs. 

This project restored 3 acres of shoreline and dune vegetation on Santa Monica Beach to enhance dune habitat and biodiversity along the shore. These enhanced dunes will protect the beach and nearby infrastructure from flooding and sea-level rise. This promotes recreation on the beaches and improves tourism to Los Angeles’ iconic beaches. 

As sea level rises, wetlands and marshes must move inland, or drown. Conservation groups in the San Francisco Bay region sought to preserve the shoreline of the 1000-acre tidal marsh. They designed a modelling tool to visualize changes in tidal marshes and bird population under various sea levels and sediment supply scenarios.

Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge in Orange County, California is primarily comprised of tidal salt marsh that is struggling to keep up with sea-level rise. This project placed 10 inches of cleaned dredged material (from a nearby harbor) over 8 acres of the lowest-elevation salt marsh.