UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant recently completed the construction and installation of the base layer for a living shoreline project at the Burton 4-H center on Tybee Island, a project partially funded by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. The goals of this project are to stabilize an eroding bank at the Burton 4-H center and increase the amount of oyster and marsh habitat in Horse Pen Creek.
Living shorelines imitate nature to help support marsh banks. Since these banks are often in danger of erosion due to constantly changing tides, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant use native plants and oyster shells to provide a structure that works with the natural environment to connect marshes with upland. This means that the living shoreline not only protects property but also provides habitat for marine life and wildlife.
The Tybee Island project partners include UGA Marine Extension, Georgia Sea Grant, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia 4-H. The City of Tybee, Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission, Coastal Civil Engineering, 100 Miles and The Nature Conservancy all provide additional support for the project.
The final layer of the shoreline will be installed in April and May.