By John Pacenti
Barrier islands were supposed to be just that — a barrier for the mainland, mostly shifting sands that ebbed and flowed with the whims of Mother Nature.
Then, Florida’s pioneers started building on these pristine sand bars — which were even desirable in the time of the Tequestas and the Jeaga, Native American tribes that settled here long before the pioneers arrived.
With every building, home, neighborhood, or resort that followed the pioneers’ arrival, there also came a sea wall — and with every sea wall, the beach or coastline would eventually erode and vanish.
For decades, the solution has been to dump sand on the beach and rebuild sea walls where they have degraded.
An innovative solution — living sea walls — aims to keep the coastline from degrading. Using unique substrates and designs, a living shoreline employs native vegetation and natural rocks to reduce erosion.
Ocean Ridge is considering such a proposal, with commissioners hearing from Texas-based Shoreline Erosion Control Solutions, which wants to install its first living sea wall in the town. Lisa Burgess, executive vice president of the company, told the commission at its May 5 meeting that the company’s marine-engineered interlocking units diminish 99% of wave energy.
“In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that coastal erosion causes $500 million annually in damage to property and infrastructure,” said Burgess, who was invited by Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy to give a presentation on how to replace the sea wall at the end of Hudson Avenue at the Intracoastal Waterway.
The design includes special baffle openings specifically designed for mangrove growth. “We would be growing mangroves through the baffle openings,” Burgess noted. “Sand and sediment build up naturally at the bottom.”
The Hudson Avenue project, estimated to cost just under $500,000, could be the first of its kind in Florida and is cheaper than the $750,000 the town has earmarked to build a new sea wall at the location, Burgess said.
“Until now, the only solutions were beach nourishment, planting native grasses, or installing rock riprap or vertical structures,” Burgess explained. “Nature-based solutions often get washed away in the next storm, while rock and riprap structures shift, sink and erode from behind.”
Cassidy said Shoreline’s presentation was only that — a presentation. She said the town needs to explore grant options, but said that the sea wall at the end of Hudson is deteriorating and will need to be replaced.
When Mayor Geoff Pugh asked about potential cost benefits, Burgess highlighted her company’s commitment: “We have not put any profit on this ... we are doing it at cost.”
Ocean Ridge would be the first living sea wall in Florida for SECS — but it has installed two others in Rockport, Texas.
Interim Town Manager Michelle Heiser said she knows that the company will be meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is meeting with the South Florida Water Management District.
“They need to be able to give some guarantees that we’ll be able to get a permit before I would be comfortable moving forward,” Heiser said.
Burgess said the company will start testing its project with the Army Corps of Engineers on July 28. “We’re making sure that we have a full battery of testing. There are a lot of projects that we’re under consideration for across the country,” she said.
A Google search for “living sea wall” will return numerous companies working in the space of coastal retention. It’s a vibrant area for academic and governmental researchers, as well. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has catalogued all the projects nationwide on its Living Shoreline Map.
Last year, the town of Palm Beach approved $157,000 for Applied Technology & Management to design a living shoreline along 500 feet of Lake Worth Lagoon on the town’s North End.
Palm Beach Public Works said the project is moving along, currently in the design and permitting process.
The Coastal Star previously reported on Delray Beach’s Singer Studio, which has invented a substrate for an artificial reef that encourages coral growth and interlocks to prevent beach erosion, creating an offshore breakwater.
The newspaper also reported how the University of Miami developed its SEAHIVE system — perforated, hexagonal concrete pieces that fit together to dissipate wave energy.
While wave energy eventually degrades sea walls from the bottom up, Burgess said her company’s sea walls are robust.
“They interlock and pin to the sea floor, so once you put them in, they don’t move,” Burgess said. The company has already tested similar units in Texas, with installations surviving Hurricane Beryl in 2024 without displacement.
Ocean Ridge Vice Mayor Steve Coz probed the timeline, learning the project would take approximately 18 months, with engineering, environmental studies, and permitting consuming much of that time.
Permits would be needed from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
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