Osyter Reef, Oyster Wall

Coming from a small island in the Atlantic (Ireland), I am very aware of coastal erosion. From visiting my old village of Malahide in County Dublin to visiting friends in Schull, County Cork, I have seen many coastlines that are continuously battered by the Atlantic. I did visit Schull a couple of months ago and noticed that some areas of the road were less prominent than when I first went there 15 years ago. It is only when you see this eroded road that you realize that the land is literally being eaten up.

In Ireland, there are now many sea walls in place which are ugly and unappealing, especially when they are so clearly visible from the road, sea and air. They are usually made from reinforced concrete, bulkheads or slabs of other man-made material that eventually dissolve and require rebuilding. However, marine scientists are testing a new technique to deal with this problem in Alabama. Their technique uses tons of oyster shells to create a barrier reef that will serve as a habitat for sea life, filter the water and protect the coast.

In essence, these scientists are creating a living shoreline and sea barrier that they hope will become an ecosystem to underwater life as well as protecting the coast from hurricanes, storms and the ongoing attacks of the sea. If it works, these ingenious walls could become a major breakthrough in protecting coastlines around the world and rehabilitating life in our marine habitats.