At Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina, a team of researchers is getting their feet wet — literally — in the fight to save the coast. Dr. April Blakeslee, an associate professor at East Carolina University, wades into waist-deep water at the Theodore Roosevelt Natural Area, checking on a bold experiment: three different designs of living shorelines, built to fight erosion while giving oysters and fish a place to call home.
Unlike concrete seawalls, which can harm coastal ecosystems, living shorelines mix natural and human-made materials — oyster shells, rocks, and concrete — to stabilize coastlines while still supporting wildlife. These nature-based solutions also filter pollutants from the water and protect waterfront buildings from storm damage.
"Living shoreline designs have evolved to become more resilient to storms, sea level rise and wave energy," Blakeslee said, "making them ideal for natural experiments of their efficacy."
The project is a collaboration between ECU, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina State University, and the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The team is studying how well each design holds up against erosion and whether it attracts the right kinds of sea life. Some sections of the reef were left untouched to serve as controls — a scientific trick to compare what happens with and without the new structures.
Dr. Rachel Gittman, also an ECU associate professor, has been tracking how quickly the marsh is disappearing. NOAA uses this 265-acre state park as a long-term monitoring site and has documented serious marsh loss over the past few decades. Marshes are crucial because they clean the water and provide nursery habitat for fish that matter to both fishermen and the tourism industry.
"Although erosion is a natural process, rising sea levels and human alteration of the coast are exacerbating and accelerating erosion of the North Carolina coastal marshes," Gittman said.
To fund the work, Blakeslee and Gittman recently secured a two-year, $150,000 grant from North Carolina Sea Grant. Part of that research will examine whether living shorelines accidentally invite invasive species — creatures that arrive uninvited and can cause problems for native wildlife. Blakeslee suspects non-native species might show up first, since they tend to be better at colonizing disturbed areas. Understanding that pattern could help scientists design shorelines that support native species instead.
Looking ahead, the team hopes their findings will guide future restoration projects up and down the coast. With sea levels rising, coastal communities need smart, science-backed solutions that work with nature rather than against it — and this patch of North Carolina shoreline might just point the way.