Evaluating Living Shorelines to Inform Regulatory Decision-Making in South Carolina - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This collaborative research project conducted extensive field work on the South Carolina coast. This project monitored and evaluated the effectiveness of a variety of living shoreline techniques under different coastal environmental conditions. Three datasets were generated by the project:

(1)Monitoring data for pre-existing oyster-based shoreline sites. This dataset includes monitoring results from 62 pre-existing living shoreline projects that used different techniques to support the development of oyster reefs. The reefs were distributed across 29 sites of varying shoreline geomorphologies, salinities, and sediment types, and were monitored for a variety of site characteristics and performance metrics.

(2)Performance data for new experimental shoreline sites. This dataset includes pre-installation and post-installation monitoring data for 16 experimental living shoreline sites spread along the South Carolina coast. Monitoring encompassed physical attributes of the bank and sediment, biological attributes of the adjacent marsh and the condition of the treatment material over time.

(3)Spatial and elevation geodatabase for living shoreline sites. This geodatabase was designed to help analyze changes in position and elevation of key features around living shorelines to help determine the relative success of various types of living shoreline materials. Data included horizontal position and elevation data at specific locations at living shoreline installation at various times.

Living shorelines have been a part of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ coastal management, conservation, and education strategies for over 20 years, but permitting projects adjacent to private land has been difficult. Based on property owners’ increasing interest in living shorelines and the benefits to the coastal environment, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is pursuing a regulatory pathway to easily and effectively permit them. To ensure that the resulting regulations and project standards developed are based on sound science, the state partnered with ACE Basin and North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves to conduct a multi-year project to evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of greener living shoreline technologies under a number of coastal environmental conditions. This collaborative research effort included monitoring older, pre-existing living shorelines, as well as installing and monitoring new and previously used technologies under a range of environmental conditions. The results and guidance are intended to provide agency partners with the science-based information for creating a regulatory pathway and developing project standards for living shorelines in South Carolina.

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Due to the complexity of the sample design and adaptive management that occurred during this project, these datasets will be available by request instead of posting as flat files on a website. People interested in viewing or using the data should contact the staff member listed below from the South Carolina Marine Resources Research Institute. Project staff will guide individuals to obtain the most useful set of data for their needs and will help users of the data fully understand how, when, where, and why each parameter was measured in order to prevent misinterpretation. All data will also be archived at the Centralized Data Management Office.

Additional information about the data and access information is available on the project webpage: nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Sanger15

For data access requests:

Gary Sundin, Wildlife Biologist

Marine Resources Research Institute

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Phone: 843-953-0130

Email: sunding@dnr.sc.gov

For other project questions:

Denise Sanger

ACE Basin NERR Research Coordinator

SCDNR Marine Resources Research Institute

Phone: 843-953-9074

Email: sangerd@dnr.sc.gov

The distributor does not assume liability.

None

Cite this dataset when used as a source: NOAA retains the right to analyze, synthesize and publish summaries of the NERRS/NSC data. The NERRS/NSC retains the right to be fully credited for having collected and process the data. Following academic courtesy standards, the NERR site where the data were collected should be contacted and fully acknowledged in any subsequent publications in which any part of the data are used. The data enclosed within this package/transmission are only as accurate as the quality assurance and quality control procedures that are described in the associated metadata reporting statement allow. The user bears all responsibility for its subsequent use/misuse in any further analyses or comparisons. The Federal government does not assume liability to the Recipient or third persons, nor will the Federal government reimburse or indemnify the Recipient for its liability due to any losses resulting in any way from the use of this data. Requested citation format: NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative(NSC).