Sustainable Estuarine Shoreline Stabilization: Research, Education, and Public Policy in North Carolina
Principal Investigators
Carolyn Currin, Ph.D. - NOAA, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research
John Fear, Ph.D. - North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve
Co-Principal Investigators (in alphabetical order)
Jill Fegley, Ph.D. - North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve
Mark Fonseca, Ph.D. - NOAA, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research
Whitney Jenkins, M.S. - North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve
Amit Malhotra, M.S. - NOAA, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research
Charles Peterson, Ph.D. - University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Sciences
Michael Piehler, Ph.D. - University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Sciences
Greg Piniak, Ph.D. - NOAA, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research
Martin Posey, Ph.D. - University of North Carolina-Wilmington
Project Summary
The project focuses on three regions along North Carolina's coast (Northern, Central and Southern), where researchers from NOAA, NC NERR, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and UNC-Chpel Hill will assess the ecosystem impacts of shoreline stabilization. The project also includes the design and construction of a demonstration project based on alternative shoreline stabilization techniques at the Rachel Carson component of the NC NERR. During the project, an approach to evaulate ecological and socioeconomic costs and benefits of shoreline erosion and protection alternatives will be developed. The researchers will work closely with an advisory panel composed of local, state and federal resource managers, contractors, property owners and other stakeholders. The NC NERR will develop outreach and educational products to disseminate the knowledge and tools developed by the research team.
The short-term objectives of this multi-disciplinary project are to:
- Conduct research to quantify ecosystem service tradeoffs as a consequence of habitat alteration,
- Design and install demonstration projects utilizing alternative shoreline stabilization approaches for research and education purposes,
- Develop an approach for evaluating ecological and socioeconomic costs and benefits of shoreline erosion and protection alternatives, and
- Develop effective communication methods for exchanging information between scientists, regulatory agencies, the business community, politicians and other relevant stakeholders in regard to short-term and long-term cost benefits of shoreline stabilization plans.