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Teams Up With Local Experts
NOAA Teams Up With Local Experts to Restore Alabama Shorelines
 National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration has announced
plans to invest $1 million over three years to help restore
Alabama’s Mobile Bay, partnering with local organizations
and citizens to reverse the loss of wetlands caused by coastal
development.
As part of an innovative restoration practice
called “Living Shorelines,” NOAA’s Restoration
Center will work with a number of organizations including
the University of South Alabama, the Association of National
Estuary Programs, and Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
to use natural techniques to reduce coastal erosion, improve
water quality, and prevent future damage from boat wake, storms,
and climate change.
“This effort in Mobile Bay demonstrates that
by working together, we can make a difference in the fight
against shoreline erosion,” said Navy Vice Adm. Conrad
C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA Administrator. “Habitat
restoration gives our coasts a fighting chance against ever-increasing
threats, making them more resilient and resistant to dramatic
change.”
In the past, shorelines were typically stabilized with hardened structures, such as bulkheads and seawalls, to prevent or minimize coastal erosion. However, scientists have found that these structures can actually increase the rate of coastal degradation. Waves reflect off the hardened structures, scouring the area in front of the wall and causing additional shoreline erosion. Bulkheads and seawalls also block tidal water flow to coastal wetlands, as well as hamper natural flood control, water treatment potential, and access for juvenile fish to their nursery habitat.
“Through our relationship with NOAA, the
University of Alabama will be able to expand its oyster restoration
program to include the restoration of a variety of habitats,”
said Dr. Robert Shipp, principal investigator
for the university’s project team. “This expansion will enable
us to have a more holistic, ecosystem-wide approach to restoring
these important coastal resources.”
The following Living Shorelines projects are planned for Alabama:
 Luscher
Park on Dog River: The goals of this project are to control
erosion, create habitat, and establish an educational site
for showcasing environmentally-appropriate erosion control
technologies as viable alternatives to sea walls and bulkheads.
The Mobile National Estuary Program will implement this
project in partnership with NOAA and the Association of
National Estuary Programs.
Alabama
Oyster Reef and Fisheries Habitat Enhancement Program:
The University of South Alabama will implement this multi-year program in cooperation with NOAA, conducting a scientific study to assess the multiple benefits of near-shore oyster reef restoration to prevent shoreline erosion at both Point Aux Pines and Alabama Port in Mobile Bay. The program will assess current marine habitats; conduct large-scale habitat creation and restoration activities; undertake targeted research projects; and perform public outreach, education, and communication.
Since 1999, NOAA’s Restoration Center has invested more than $7 million in the state of Alabama. In cooperation with its partners, NOAA has restored salt marshes and seagrass, created and restored oyster reefs, and educated communities about the value of habitat and restoration. Altogether, these projects have engaged more than 1,100 volunteers and resulted in the restoration of approximately 90 acres of coastal habitat.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
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