The living shoreline stabilization project at the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, North Carolina, leverages replicating natural defenses to preserve the habitat through innovative design.
The Rachel Carson Reserve comprises several barrier islands which host more than 2,000 acres of varied habitat and play a vital role in the storm defense of Beaufort and its historic downtown. Carrot Island, located on the eastern end of the reserve, has been rapidly eroding due to boat wake, increased wave energy, and loss of stabilizing vegetation along the shoreline.
This project’s unique design used a tandem defense of innovative 3D printed eco-positive structures and custom-designed “oyster catchers” placed at elevations sufficient to break down and reflect damaging wave energy while attracting and hosting a variety of sea life to create a living reef. Over time, these structures will densify with oysters and other calcifying sea creatures, increasing their effectiveness as wave barriers. The reduction in wave energy along the soft shoreline enables the existing marsh to heal and expand along the shoreline, supplemented with newly planted marsh grasses. The combined effect naturally stabilizes the island from storms that once rapidly eroded the shoreline. This series of interventions creates a sustainable, ecologically beneficial system to stabilize the shoreline and promote marsh habitat growth. Moffatt & Nichol led project design, permitting, and construction support, collaborating closely with Carteret County and the Rachel Carson Reserve. The Moffatt & Nichol team also played a key role in securing grant funding, which covered engineering, permitting services, and construction costs.
