The three sub-watersheds within the Nova canal watershed in relation to the Halifax River (image source: St. Johns River Water Management District)
The four living shorelines research projects will be assessed for potential impacts related to:
- Sea Level Rise – effects in target areas, effects of proposed shorelines;
- Impact on local economies – oyster industry, economic impact, water quality, flooding;
- Mitigation – flooding, extreme weather events, erosion; and the
- Intersection of these ecological and economic impacts.
Student activities
With guidance from NOAA CCME faculty and the use of the NOAA Restoration Atlas tool selected student participants will:
- Investigate local sites for living shoreline green infrastructure
- Investigate and identify current site-specific physical and social vulnerabilities of thetarget coastal communities
- Measure local ecological effects of living shoreline green infrastructure
- Assess potential socioeconomic effects of living shorelines in each location
- Analyze the effectiveness of living shorelines in mitigation of sea level rise, erosion,nutrient loading, extreme weather event impacts, and assess potential impacts on the localeconomy through modeling and data analysis.