Date of Submission

5-2024

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Marine Policy and Management

Department

Marine and Environmental Programs

First Advisor

Dr. Tarsila Seara

LCSH

Climatic changes, Coast changes, Shorelines, Shells, Coastal zone management, Coastal ecosystem health, Environmental degradation--United States

Abstract

Climate change and coastal erosion are two major threats facing coastal wetlands and marshes, especially in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Climate change has been causing sea level rise and increased storm surge during natural disasters like hurricanes and tropical storms, exacerbating erosion. Improper management techniques are also a challenge that shorelines are facing, hard structures like seawalls can be expensive to maintain and can lead to further erosion. Living shorelines is an adaptive management approach that can be beneficial to climate change and erosion mitigation and can foster nursery environments that invite new species and juvenile fish to the area to create a fully functioning ecosystem. This study seeks to address the benefits living shorelines can provide to vulnerable coastal areas, identify sustainable sources for recycled shells and make recommendations on how Connecticut and Rhode Island could better include recycled shells into their restoration plans. Coastal restoration can preserve natural environments and protect from further environmental degradation.

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