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St. Augustine, Florida
Funded in FY2025 through the National Fish Habitat Partnership Program
This project addresses severe shoreline erosion in the Town of Marineland, Florida – home to the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory – where boat wake and storm surge have damaged coastal vegetation and degraded oyster and fish habitat.
To restore natural shoreline function, the team is constructing approximately 500 feet of living shoreline using innovative “oyster arches”, lightweight engineered concrete structures that dissipate wave energy while supporting oyster growth. These structures will replace existing rubble armoring and be installed offshore to protect newly planted mangroves and marsh grasses, helping rebuild lost ecosystem services.
The project also provides significant educational benefits. The restored site will assist with marine science programming for 5,000–7,000 K–12 students annually and will be incorporated into graduate-level coastal restoration coursework at the Whitney Laboratory.