Notice: This project page is no longer being updated as of January 2023.
Sea levels are rising, and storm intensity and rainfall are projected to increase as the climate continues to warm.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy showed the state of New Jersey the power of storms that climate change is predicted to bring to the Northeast coast. Researchers are looking for ways to protect and preserve the natural integrity of the coastline. One new approach is called “Living shorelines.” By using wetland plants, natural structures, and shellfish breakwaters, wave energy is absorbed and erosion is reduced. This method can also help to protect coastal areas from regular flooding and storm damage. The goal is to make the coast more resilient so that upland areas are protected while maintaining the ecological function of the shoreline. Money Island and Gandy’s Beach are located along the New Jersey coast of Delaware Bay. This important area for fisherman, oyster farmers, and wildlife is being impacted by climate change. In response, Rutgers University and its partners are working to create a living shoreline here to reduce damage from future storms, provide habitat for wildlife, and improve water quality.
“One of the main benefits of doing this is that you maintain the connection between the aquatic environment and the terrestrial environment. There’s an interface there where those two things meet, and that interface allows life and living processes to move from aquatic environments into terrestrial environments, and if you stop that and you break that interface, now you’ve got a different sort of ecological process happening that’s not quite as productive for the ecosystem.”
- Dave Bushek, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory Rutgers University
- The Nature Conservancy
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
- Rutgers University, Haskin Shellfish Research Lab
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Cumberland County
- Downe Township
Staff from the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers University conduct research to support fisheries and aquaculture. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE) works to improve the tidal Delaware River and Bay. In 2008, the two groups formed the Delaware Estuary Living Shoreline Initiative (DELSI). This project was designed to address the loss of tidal salt marshes in the Delaware Estuary.
Many organizations helped to develop living shoreline demonstrations along the Delaware Estuary. Here is a list of partners and their contributions to this project:
Human activities can affect the water quality and quantity in wetlands. For example, stormwater runoff from paved surfaces can indirectly increase the water flowing to a coastal wetland. Draining a wetland for agriculture or development directly decreases water flows. The degree to which these are permitted depends on federal, state, and local regulatory programs. Upland uses can also impact the quality of the water reaching wetlands. Degraded water quality can have negative effects on how the wetland functions. Natural impacts on wetlands include erosion and flooding from storms and sea level rise. If wetlands cannot migrate inland because of development or other structures blocking their path, they will become open water as sea levels continue to rise.
The New Jersey Aquaculture Initiative offers technical and financial aid to aquaculture producers who adopt conservation practices. Funds can be obtained through USDA's Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). Living shorelines are eligible as a protection practice to prevent the loss of land. Funds can also be used to improve bottom conditions for oyster populations.
These artificial reefs are constructed with stackable, interlocking blocks composed of concrete, limestone, crushed shell, and silica. The blocks provide a perfect place for oyster larvae to settle during high tides when the reef is under water. Oysters are beneficial organisms that filter water and build complex habitats. The reefs also serve as a breakwater. By reducing the energy of waves hitting the shore, the shore is less susceptible to erosion during storm events.
Rutgers scientists are studying the artificial oyster reefs. Oysters provide numerous ecosystem services. They enhance biodiversity and provide habitat for associated resident and transient species. The Haskin Lab team is monitoring the fish and crustaceans that are using the newly built habitats. They are looking to see if the community that uses the reef has changed in any way since the living shoreline was installed. Ideally, the project will increase both the diversity and abundance of the species present.
Recycled oyster and surf clam shells are being used to construct living shorelines. Placing loose shells in mesh bags helps to keep the shells from getting scattered by waves and covered by silt. The shells attract oyster spat (larvae attached to substrate), which then generate a new living oyster bed. Shells for this project were obtained by The Nature Conservancy as part of a shell recycling program. The oyster shells are from Docks Raw Bar in Atlantic City. Industry partner LaMonica Fine Foods in Millville provided the surf clam shells.
Local school children assembled 17,500 bags using recycled shells while taking part in Project PORTS (Promoting Oyster Restoration Through Schools). Partnerships like these keep shells out of the landfills and educate kids about oysters and ecological restoration. Project PORTS is a community program designed and organized by Lisa Calvo and Jenny Paterno of Rutgers University. Students in grades K-12 get a chance to be environmental stewards as they help restore oyster habitat in the Delaware Bay.
The Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory is using large seine nets set on stationary poles at high tide. The poles are retrieved at low tide (current view) to gather animals using that habitat. This work began two years before the structures were installed so baseline data could be collected. Data collection will continue for several more years as the oysters grow and the reef increases in complexity. It is too early to determine if the breakwater reefs have enhanced species diversity, but many important species have been collected so far. Species collected include blue crabs, summer flounder, weakfish, black sea bass, black drum, white perch, and Atlantic croaker.
As the climate changes, sea level is rising. Dave Bushek from the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory explains how and why sea level rise is drowning marshes and moving into upland developed and agricultural areas. Jenny Paterno describes how a rising sea level is impacting those who live on the coast.
Dave Bushek from the The Haskin Shellfish Lab explains how coastal farming in New Jersey is getting squeezed by sea level rise, development, and salt water entering the ground water. More resources on other impacts of climate change on agriculture and aquaculture are available through Rutgers.
In this part of the Delaware Estuary, oyster aquaculture often is done using a rack-and-bag approach. Oysters are placed in bags to protect them from predators, and the bags are then attached to short racks, which suspend them off the bottom. These structures also act as a breakwater.
For those who want to learn more about aquaculture, many publications are available. Visit Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Fisheries & Aquaculture page for a number of helpful resources. More resources can be found on the Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center website. Factsheets cover a range of topics from how to select aquaculture species to learning about environmental effects. Best management practices and record keeping are just a few more of the topics that are covered.
Down the road from Money Island is Gandy's Beach. This undeveloped shoreline along Delaware Bay is a Nature Conservancy Preserve. It is an important area of land that provides a habitat for many different species of wildlife. In recent years, the shoreline has become increasingly prone to erosion because of rising sea levels. The erosion makes the wetlands and upland areas behind it vulnerable too. This area was greatly impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
This site is now a living shoreline project as a part of Hurricane Sandy recovery. Many partners are involved in this current project, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More than 3,000 feet of living shoreline is being constructed in order to restore 337 acres of nearby salt marsh. Project goals include reducing erosion rates and preventing storm damage. The living shoreline will also help to restore habitat for fish, birds, and near-shore marine species and will improve water quality. In addition to planting marsh grasses along the coast, the team has also built shell bag reefs and oyster castle breakwaters.
The Haskin Shellfish Lab is leading the shellfish recruitment monitoring portion of the project. How many oysters and ribbed mussels settle on the shell bags and Oyster Castles? What is their size distribution? Do they survive the winter and ice? All of these questions are addressed by Rutgers scientists and staff during their surveys conducted twice a year. Using a randomized quadrat design, a subset of the animals present are counted and measured. Based on their calculations, 750,000 young oysters were living on the reef structures along Gandy’s Beach at the start of 2017!
This area is important for fisherman and oyster farmers. As sea level rises, roads that provide access to the busy marinas are in danger of being washed away. Protecting the coast and these industries with living shorelines is a strategy Rutgers and other partners are exploring.
In addition, the marshes behind Gandy's Beach give way to highly productive agricultural fields. This is common for the extensive marshes surrounding Delaware Bay. Agriculture in this area is wide-spread. Many different vegetable and nursery crops are grown here, helping to give New Jersey its nickname “The Garden State.”