‘Living shoreline’ on Eckerd College campus scraps seawall in favor of seagrass
Eckerd College is joining a growing number of coastal communities worldwide that are pursuing living shorelines: a nature-based alternative to traditional seawalls that offers sustainable flood protection, minimal maintenance needs, and aesthetic beauty. The Eckerd community, led by Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Jesse Sherry, planted the seeds of its first stretch of living shoreline this summer following more than 3 years of careful planning and design.
The basic concept behind a living shoreline is using native plants and biodegradable materials to stabilize coastlines, prevent erosion, provide natural runoff filtration, and counteract flooding. While records of intentionally constructed living shorelines date back to the 1970s, the initial idea to implement living shorelines at Eckerd College came from a student less than 10 years ago.
Sherry routinely teaches a Green Design course at Eckerd, acquainting students with new ways of thinking about buildings, products, and energy systems that minimize environmental impact. A key piece of the course tasks students with shepherding a design project from an initial idea to a fleshed-out plan, ready for proposal and implementation. When one student conceived plans for an on-campus living shoreline, Sherry encouraged him to present the idea to Eckerd’s campus planning committee — at the time, however, funding to pursue the idea was sparse.
In 2021, a USD $150,000 grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP; St. Petersburg, Florida) revived the idea. TBEP identified high-priority areas along the Tampa Bay shoreline, including the Eckerd campus, for projects that would improve water quality. The grant subsidized a lengthy planning and design process meant to maximize the eventual shoreline’s value as both a boon to the bay and an attractive campus fixture.
With a sound plan in place, in 2023, the college secured a USD $350,000 state grant to support implementation. Earlier this year, crews demolished a stretch of crumbling concrete seawall, allowing the Eckerd community space to build back greener.
