St Marys Riverkeeper and UNF work to create a “Living Shoreline” on Old Town Fernandina

St Marys Riverkeeper
Press Release
May 11, 2021

Volunteers from the St. Marys Riverkeeper joined students from the University of North Florida’s Coastal and Marine Biology Program on May 1 to work on a living shoreline coastal restoration project

Volunteers from the St. Marys Riverkeeper joined students from the University of North Florida’s Coastal and Marine Biology Program on May 1 to work on a living shoreline coastal restoration project along the Old Town Fernandina waterfront on the Amelia River.

The is the second phase of the Living Shoreline project started in 2019. Altogether, more than 70 refurbished crab traps have been installed into the shoreline next to the Plaza Fernandina Historic State Park, where the project can be viewed at low- to mid- tide.

The Riverkeeper, Anna Laws, and groups of students from Dr. Kelly Smith’s biology classes will be visiting the sites throughout the summer to continue monitoring oyster and plant growth on the experimental structures.

Living shorelines are made of natural materials that improve water quality, provide fisheries habitat, increase biodiversity and promote recreation. The shoreline will function as a wave break to halt or slow erosion of the marsh while simultaneously providing oyster habitat and restore lost marsh vegetation.
To learn more, please read the articles at the St. Mary’s Riverkeeper website, stmaryriverkeeper.org

The St. Marys Riverkeeper (SMRK) is a nonprofit environmental organization devoted to protecting and enriching the St. Marys River watershed through water quality monitoring, education and advocacy.

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Richard Norman Kurpiers
Richard Norman Kurpiers (@guest_61018)
2 years ago

Link should be: stmarysriverkeeper.org

DAVID LOTT
DAVID LOTT(@dave-l)
2 years ago

It will be interesting to follow this project over time.

NOTE: Last sentence of second paragraph “Laws may be available for media tours of the site.” doesn’t make any sense.

Also, note other comment about the incorrect embedded link.

Benjamin Morrison
Benjamin Morrison (@guest_61021)
2 years ago
Reply to  DAVID LOTT

(Anna) Laws is the name of the River Keeper

Mark Tomes
Trusted Member
Mark Tomes(@mtomes)
2 years ago

Glad to hear about erosion control for Old Town. I read elsewhere that the point has lost a few hundred feet due to erosion.