GRASONVILLE—A study in shoreline stabilization —engineered to protect the land's edge from erosion while creating habitats that promote populations of aquatic species in the Chesapeake Bay—ends its first year of study with evidence that the shoreline remains stable.

Increasing numbers of aquatic species have discovered and are utilizing the newly created habitats there.

Field experts say natural shoreline habitat is vital to the health of the bay and call conventional methods of shoreline protection—rip-rap and bulkheads—environmentally damaging.

In areas of high energy waters, alternative methods of shoreline protection—which use plant and other materials—are experimental, as field experts work to establish techniques that do not diminish habitat. In areas of low energy waters, erosion control techniques via plant materials have been used for decades.

During a "Living Shoreline" restoration project last summer at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC), in Grasonville (formerly Horsehead Wetlands Center) about 400 feet of bulkheading was removed to reveal the natural shoreline.

For erosion protection, marsh grass breakwaters and a man-made oyster reef were engineered to absorb wave energy while providing habitat environments.

The site is considered "high energy," facing about 25 miles of open water in Prospect Bay.

The project’s first test with severe weather conditions came several weeks ago when tropical storm Isabel brought seven-foot tidal surges ashore.

"Effects from the storm were essentially none," said Richard Takacs, a Mid-Atlantic Restoration Coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"The shoreline had a minimal amount of scouring but was essentially untouched."

"There was a slight redistribution of sand, but the shoreline remained stable. There was no erosion," said Kevin Smith of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, Riparian and Wetlands Restoration Program. "I would say we’ve had a build-up of sand on the shoreline over the last year period."

"The project was engineered to work with the natural dynamics a shoreline faces during catastrophic events, not fight against it," said Smith. "Our main purpose here was to provide shoreline erosion protection while at the same time enhancing and restoring habitat for the entire food chain."

Two marsh grass breakwaters—reaching out from the shoreline like arms—absorb wave energy, allowing calmer waters to flow into a small cove with a sandy beach strand. "Low energy coves provide the ideal habitat for spawning creatures," said Smith. "Hatchlings can hide and feed near the wetland vegetation."

"Wildlife has definitely increased. Last year we had 30 terrapin nesting sites, this year 110. Last year, I did not see any horseshoe crab eggs, this year the beach has been filled with them," Smith said.

"The cove seemed to be the hotspot for mating this summer. It's the perfect environment, relatively calm, not a lot of flushing going on," said Judy Wink, Executive Director at CBEC. "In the late spring I started seeing a lot of mating horseshoe crabs. In May you could see their eggs all over the beach."

"In August I began observing a significant number of mating blue crabs. I was surprised at how many I observed because I didn't expect to see them in that new of an area."

Smith said it is impossible to know if populations of fish and crabs are increasing, as data was not collected on these species prior to the project. However, the habitat there, he said, would promote both species.

Most of the marsh grasses planted last August to create wetland habitat were lost over the winter and had to be replanted, Smith said. "They didn’t have a long enough growing season for the roots to get established. We replanted them this April and they’re thriving. They had their first full growing season."

"Mussels should begin to move into the roots of the grasses—they are important because they filter the water and help protect the soil from erosion. They also serve as a mainstay in the diet of many birds. Periwinkle snails should move in as well. They live higher in the grasses and eat algae," Smith said.

An oyster reef—constructed with rubble from Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium—was positioned about 200 yards in front of the shoreline and seeded with spat. The reef was engineered to include "havens" where fish can hide.

"We are trying to go back to a more natural approach. The reef was constructed to dampen wave energy and lessen beach erosion while increasing habitat. We always had multiple goals--an oyster reef habitat to protect the shoreline and provide habitat for oysters and juvenile fish," Takacs said.

"I’ve seen a normal reef community there--shrimp, crabs, juvenile fish, mussels, barnacles and oysters. The mussels and barnacles are filter feeders--they eat algae and small organisms. The oysters take in algae."

"The fish I've noticed include blennies, gobies, killy fish; I haven't seen, but believe the reef provides habitat for young striped bass and white perch."

"I was quite surprised by the natural spat growing on the fish havens. The young oysters there are 3 inches long—usually they grow one and a-half to two inches a year." A result, most likely, of little competition for space, Takacs said.

"Oyster spat has settled on most of the hard substrate we've put down. Oysters growing on the reef are more on the order of what I would expect, currently in the one and one-half to two inch range," said Takacs.

The oyster reef and fish havens have been tested for the presence of both diseases that currently plague bay oysters—Dermo and MSX. "All the samples taken this year came back with zero disease (likely a result of the ample rainfall and then very low salinities compared to last year, when disease was present at the site,)" Takacs said.

A handful of other Living Shoreline projects—a second one in Queen Anne’s County and others in Anne Arundel County along the Severn River—are currently being monitored. "By and large, most are performing as we’d hoped," Smith said.

Three years ago, Bill and Jane Hartley of Chester began a Living Shoreline Project at their home, removing stone rip-rap to restore a natural beach strand. Marsh grass breakwaters protect the site from erosion. The site faces about 8 miles of open water from Crab Alley and Eastern Bay and is considered high energy.

Hartley said the shoreline remains stable.

"I think the severe test was Isabel, because it came from the direction our shoreline faces. The sand shifted a little bit, but stayed within a contained area. We had tidal surges that were between six and seven feet."

"The grasses grew fine this year, they were fully mature and sent out runners. They spread by some degree."

Hartley said her shoreline saw an increase in terrapin nesting sites this summer. "We had a huge amount this summer on the beach, to the point where we couldn’t keep up with it. We were calling it ‘maternity beach’."

"We’ve always had horseshoe crabs but it’s easier for them now. They used to get caught in the rocks and would sometimes be wedged in or flipped over. Now they come up to the shoreline, do their thing and leave."

"I’m not sure if the shoreline has had any impact on the crab population but I can say the beach has made it easier to go soft crabbing." Hartley said she saw a number of waterman soft crabbing near her beach this summer.

"A 'living shoreline' is in contrast to the traditional approach to stabilizing the shoreline," said Bill Goldsboro, a senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

"The hardening of shoreline from bulkhead or rip-rap, from an engineering standpoint is suitable to stop erosion and stabilize the shoreline, but from a biological standpoint, it's disastrous because it eliminates a range of important habitat functions. A natural shoreline is the most productive zone in an estuary and potentially the richest environment we could have in the Chesapeake Bay."

In many cases, rip-rap and bulkheads can be avoided by using natural vegetations for shoreline protection, said Smith.

"The shoreline is an important component of the bay’s ecosystem and the habitat there is vital for species who need shallow water, marshes and beaches to complete some part of their life cycle—to find refuge, to lay eggs, to sluff a shell," said Smith. "We are trying to give them a helping hand."