Abstract
The current trend in the Gulf of Mexico is to install hard structures, such as, bulkheads, groins, or revetment on shorelines to protect waterfront coastal properties from erosion. In Alabama over 26% of the state’s tidal shoreline has been armored, 40% of Tampa Bay’s shoreline has been armored, and 20% of tidal marshes in Galveston Bay have been lost as a result of armoring. Hard structures tend to present negative effects to hydrodynamics and erosion to adjacent unprotected properties. In addition, hard structures can also cause unwarranted consequences to coastal habitat, sustainable fisheries, and nutrient recycling. Based on discussions from the greater Gulf of Mexico scientific community more decision support tools need to be produced and made available to the public and decision makers to help encourage the use of living shorelines. The presenter will discuss the creation and application of the Gulf of Mexico Shoreline Management Model (SSM) and the Shoreline Decision Support Tool (DST) as funded by the NOAA RESTORE Science Program, that return upland and shoreline recommendations. The Models discussed will include the Galveston Bay, Lake Pontchartrain, and Coastal Alabama SSM viewers along with the interactive DST. The shoreline best management practices will be presented for each LSSM viewer. A short interactive training will be presented to allow the participants to understand essential input attributes and the ability to generate a natural or modified shoreline best management practice for a shoreline of interest upon completion of the seminar. Challenges and solutions for implementing the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences SSM for the select geographic regions in the Gulf of Mexico will also be discussed, including issues associated with generating and acquiring data for the SSM, where to access the SSM viewers and DST, and future access to the model and operator’s manual upon completion of the project.
