Federal Funding Expands Resilience Work

At South Carolina’s ACE Basin Reserve, which manages more than 120,000 acres of coastal habitat, a project to safeguard the state’s salt marshes against erosion and coastal flooding is underway. Led by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and made possible with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) , this project focuses on oyster reef restoration and protection of fragile marsh ecosystems.

Salt marshes act as natural barriers against storm surges, provide wildlife habitat, and support local economies. Nationwide, wetlands provide $23 billion in storm protection services each year. However, rising seas and extreme weather events have threatened these habitat superstars in recent years, highlighting the need for urgent action.

Denise Sanger, the Reserve’s research coordinator and SCDNR senior scientist, says the initiative was only possible because of the decades of collaborative research and restoration.

“This experience helped us act quickly when funding became available through federal initiatives like BIL/IRA,” she explains. “We had already developed best practices, formed strong partnerships, and were ready to expand on restoration methods that work.”

This included the creation of intertidal oyster reefs, which protect marshes from wave erosion and promote biodiversity. The team is using loose shell and wire reefs that encourage oyster larvae to settle and form reefs—which have been proven to work on diverse South Carolina shorelines.

“This project has increased our capacity to create oyster reef and salt marsh habitat through large scale oyster shell planting and volunteer efforts,” says Ben Dyar, director of the Office of Fisheries Management at SCDNR. “Planting shell is one of only a few tools we have as managers to ensure the sustainability of this economically, culturally, and ecologically invaluable resource for South Carolina.”

“Thanks to this funding, we’ll be able to add another 800 feet of reef along South Fenwick Island and 2 acres of oyster reef to continue the work we’ve already been doing since the early 2000s,” Sanger added.

The ACE Basin project has built upon the success of SCDNR’s South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement program (SCORE) and the Shellfish Research Section, in which volunteers plant recycled oyster shells on the coast to create new and self-sustaining oyster reefs. This effort, which began over two decades ago, fosters a sense of ownership among local residents, who now see themselves as active participants in coastal restoration. “This work is about habitat and the health of our ecosystem, which includes the community,” Sanger noted.

Reserve Manager Julie Binz emphasized the importance of community involvement in this work. “We’re not just creating reefs; we’re educating young people and instilling them with a sense of responsibility. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a new generation of conservationists coming out of programs like the Sustainability Institute’s AmeriCorps program, which we’ve partnered with on this project,” she said. 

“Our members spend their fall term working to restore the interior of South Fenwick,” says Marni Friedman, director of Conservation for the Environmental Conservation Corps (ECC) at the Sustainability Institute. “By growing and planting marsh grass and oyster reef along the vulnerable shoreline, they contribute to the preservation and creation of habitat, spend invaluable time working alongside Reserve staff, are exposed to important industry skills, and foster a strong sense of ownership of this culturally and biodiverse island.”

“The Reserve’s position within SCDNR’s Marine Resources Division allows for enhanced collaboration and the ability to leverage our capacity for research, management, stewardship, and outreach,” says Blaik Keppler, deputy director for Marine Resources at SCDNR. “The expansion of living shorelines through BIL funding is a great example of tapping into existing knowledge and talent to improve our coastal habitats and build resilience.”

The project is also an opportunity to see how certain habitats fare under difficult environmental conditions. The team is experimenting with coupling oyster reefs and salt marsh restoration to understand how these habitats support each other over time. To assess results, scientists are collecting data on marsh health using drones and water-level data from the Reserve’s long-term monitoring sites. 

Once completed, the project will serve as a test case for conservation techniques that could be replicated on a state, regional, and national level. SCDNR is launching a story map this winter, which will enable the public to follow and learn more about the impact of the Reserve’s BIL and IRA projects.

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