Reefense: Living shoreline mosaics can achieve ecological and engineering outcomes with interdisciplinary design
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Living shorelines that comprise oyster reefs within a mosaic of multiple coastal habitats can be a resilient and adaptive coastal protection alternative to conventional engineered structures. The success of an oyster reef living shoreline depends on the evolution of a stable base substrate that provides initial short-term coastal protection, to the growth of a living oyster reef and associated habitats in the longer-term, which can enhance protection and provide other ecosystem services. Interdisciplinary global teams that include ecologists, biologists, engineers, techno-economists, and industry are leading the development and implementation of innovative reef-based coastal protection ("Reefense") solutions that can be scaled to face the challenges of climate change.
Authors: Rebecca L. Morris, Jaden E. Akers, Sandra Casas, Justin Geldard, Alex Goad, Marco Ghisalberti, Ximing Guo, Reid Holland, Hongyue Jin, Kelly M. Kibler, Danielle Kreeger, Brendan S. Lanham, Jerome F. La Peyre, Ryan J. Lowe, Cynthia E. M. Lupton, Hani Nassif, William Mather, Andrew W. M. Pomeroy, Ella Rothermel, Michael Ruszala, Madhuwanthi Rupasinghe, F. Scott Rikard, Richard E. Riman, Rackel San Nicolas, Jenny P. Shinn, Prashansa Shrestha, Eric L. Sparks, Stephen E. Swearer, Jyotismita Taye, Nigel A. Temple, Manisha N. Thenuwara, Peter B. Vien, Zhenwei Wang, Mason L. Williams, David Bushek
Institutions: The University of Melbourne, Mississippi State University, Louisiana State University, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, The University of Western Australia, Oceans Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Arizona, University of Central Florida, Auburn University, Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, University of South Alabama
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Mississippi State University, Auburn University, University of Central Florida, Louisiana State University, University of South Alabama, University of Melbourne, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Agricultural Center, Louisiana State University, Australian Research Council
OpenAlex ID: W7148877172