Collaboration Makes Field-Scale Innovation Possible

In December, 2023 the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs (SCDVA) announced a Military Enhancement Grant awarded to the Town of Port Royal to provide protection to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRDPI) infrastructure and reduce coastal erosion through the installation of an artificial reef system to facilitate and enhance wave attenuation to reduce erosional land loss through the utilization of “Smart Reef” technology; and, implement a large-scale oyster shell restoration project for oyster based living shorelines.  The Town of Port Royal in coordination with Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRDPI) partnered with Coastal Carolina University (CCU), the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the environmental non-profit Global EcoAdventures (GEA) to execute the projects outlined in the Grant. The strategic partnership was created to install a Living Shoreline at MCRDPI to provide protection to the infrastructure, reduce coastal erosion, and impacts from more frequent, severe storms as well as improve marine habitat, water quality, sediment accretions, and fishing.  The project includes the creation of oyster-based living shorelines along over 8000 linear feet of shoreline at 11 individual sites; and the establishment of an integrated living shoreline / nearshore “Smart Reef” system to work to facilitate reduction of erosional land loss and degradation of functionality while utilizing advanced clean energy technology from solar and kinetic energy.