Image: Oyster reef in the bay made from oyster castles, about 60% complete (22620795960)

Description: The first phase of the Hurricane Sandy-funded living shoreline installation in Downe Township, New Jersey, part of the Gandy’s Beach shoreline protection project, was completed in October 2015. For three days, partners and local volunteers placed a combination of “oyster castles” -- stackable, interlocking blocks of concrete, limestone, crushed shell and silica that encourage oyster larvae to settle -- and bagged oyster shells created by local schools, just offshore. Partner organizations will monitor the integrity of the structure through winter and apply findings to inform future reef installations in the same area next year. The work of this partnership will help stabilize approximately 3,000 feet of beach and tidal marsh shoreline, allowing the coast to heal itself.

Credit: Mary Conti/TNC

More project information: http://www.fws.gov/hurricane/sandy/projects/GandysBeach.html
Usage Terms: Public domain