Project Page

Restoring Living Shorelines and Reefs in Mississippi Estuaries

Implementing Organization

State of Mississippi

Overview

DWH Project Funding

$30,000,000

Known Leveraged Funding

$0

Funding Organization

Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (NRDA)

Funding Program

Natural Resource Damage Assessment NRDA

Details

Project Category

Environmental

Project Actions

Habitat Restoration and Enhancement

Targeted Resources

Wetlands/Marshes/Estuaries

Project Description

The project restores secondary productivity through the placement of intertidal and subtidal reefs and the use of living shoreline techniques (including breakwaters) in Grand Bay, Graveline Bay, Back Bay of Biloxi and vicinity, and St. Louis Bay in Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock Counties, Mississippi. The project builds on recent collaborative projects implemented by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and The Nature Conservancy. The project has constructed 1.5 miles of breakwaters, five acres of intertidal reef habitat, and 137 acres of subtidal reef habitat. Over time, the breakwaters, intertidal and subtidal restoration areas will develop into living reefs that support benthic secondary productivity, including, but not limited to oysters/bivalve mollusks, annelid worms, shrimp, and crabs. Breakwaters will reduce shoreline erosion as well as marsh loss. Monitoring and Adaptive Management plans will be finalized in 2023 and monitoring will begin in 2024.

Contact

Chris Wells
(601) 961-5545
cwells@mdeq.ms.gov
Project Website
Project Partners

None

Affiliated Institutions

For official trustee information regarding the Deepwater Horizon NRDA, including information regarding the NRDA process and the status of projects, see https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/

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