Florida is home to the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, and with its population growing rapidly, understanding how to protect these shores is more important than ever. Living Shorelines for Florida: A Practical Guide for Building Coastal Resilience is hitting shelves this month, providing valuable resources and guidance to navigate nature-based solutions to stabilize shorelines. Written by Florida Sea Grant’s UF/IFAS Extension Agents Savanna Barry and Vincent Encomio, along with recent UF M.F.A. graduate Marjorie Shropshire, and Ginny Stribolt, this peer-reviewed book explains the concept of living shorelines and offers practical advice for implementing them across the state.
“This book is a comprehensive resource on living shorelines for curious Floridians. It’s a step-by-step guide for ‘why’ and ‘how’ the reader should improve their property by following nature’s lead,”
says Annie Roddenberry, biologist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida’s coastline stretches for 1,350 miles, and along it, more than 7 million people (30% of the state’s population) live within six feet of sea level. Decades of development to accommodate this growth have reshaped the landscape, from filled wetlands to dredged canals and nonnative plantings. As these coastal areas face rising seas, stronger storms, and increased erosion, living shorelines provide a more natural, cost-effective alternative to traditional armored structures like seawalls.
Living Shorelines for Florida serves as a resource for homeowners, contractors, landscape professionals, government officials, and scientists, offering tools to better understand Florida’s coastal systems. With real-world examples, step-by-step guides, expert insights, recommended materials, and illustrations, it covers every stage from design and construction to planting, maintenance, and permitting.
The book complements the Living Shorelines Marine Contractors Course, which equips professionals with the tools to install nature-based shorelines, while also filling an important gap by educating homeowners and property owners.
“Homeowners wield significant influence. Through their choices and preferences, they can guide their contractors toward sustainable practices,”
says Vincent Encomio. “There is so much information on living shorelines, but it has not really been compiled in one accessible guide yet. We envisioned something homeowners and contractors could both use, leading to them speaking the same language regarding living shorelines.”
The book is currently on sale as part of the University Press of Florida’s annual holiday sale. Customers interested in ordering can visit https://floridapress.org/9781683405504/living-shorelines-for-florida/ and use code 31HOL25 at checkout for 40% off. The code also includes free shipping on orders over $75.
We envisioned something homeowners and contractors could both use, leading to them speaking the same language regarding living shorelines.
Meet the Authors
Behind Living Shorelines for Florida: A Practical Guide for Building Coastal Resilience is a team of experts dedicated to protecting Florida’s coasts. Florida Sea Grant’s UF/IFAS Extension Agents Savanna Barry and Vincent Encomio bring hands-on experience working with coastal communities and restoration projects across the state.
Visual artist Marjorie Shropshire and botanist Ginny Stibolt add creative and ecological depth. The book’s inspiration grew from Marjorie’s M.F.A. thesis in Design and Visual Arts, which examined social barriers to living shoreline adoption through intentional co-design. Her research, shaped by the Florida Master Naturalist Program and coastal restoration efforts, was brought to life through Marjorie’s illustration and design expertise, making living shoreline concepts approachable for homeowners and professionals alike.
Interested in taking our Living Shorelines Marine Contractors Course? Visit the Florida Living Shorelines website to explore resources, connect with certified professionals who install living shorelines, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates on future courses, events, opportunities, and more!
Related Reading
Salty Urbanism is a design manual for South Florida urban landscapes that focuses on innovative, nature-based solutions to sea-level rise and climate-driven flooding. Supported by Florida Sea Grant and authored by Jeffrey Huber, the book is the product of an interdisciplinary team at Florida Atlantic University.
