Plastic-Free Oyster Shoreline Restoration

The project aims to enhance coastal restoration efforts by developing and implementing plastic-free alternatives for oyster shoreline restoration. Traditional methods using plastic mesh bags pose environmental risks, prompting the need for sustainable solutions. The project introduces reef prisms, made from jute-fiber and Cement-All®, as a viable alternative, offering benefits such as reduced carbon footprint and ease of volunteer involvement. Objectives include hiring staff biologists to support the Plastic-free Restoration of Oyster Shorelines Community of Practice (PROS CoP), expanding the use of reef panels, and developing protocols to assess wave energy attenuation and water quality improvements. The project seeks to provide quantitative metrics for living shoreline projects, fostering ecosystem-based management and enhancing coastal habitat restoration.