Loading...
The Science Behind Virginia’s Living Shoreline Standards: Resource for Coastal Decision-Making
Fergel, Jessica Rose, Ashely Recco, Danielle Tombleson, Christine Havens, Kirk
Fergel, Jessica
Rose, Ashely
Recco, Danielle
Tombleson, Christine
Havens, Kirk
Abstract
Virginia’s living shoreline standard promotes nature-based approaches that provide erosion control and water quality benefits, protect, restore or enhance natural shoreline habitat, maintain land–water connections and coastal processes, and, where possible, enhance coastal resilience. Under Code of Virginia § 28.2-104.1, a living shoreline is defined not by materials alone, but by its ability to deliver these functions. The central premise of this paper is that living shorelines should be defined by function rather than materials. To qualify, a project must use natural shoreline habitat as the basis for erosion control, provide water quality benefits, maintain land–water connectivity, and support the physical, chemical, and biological processes that sustain coastal systems over time. No single feature or material is sufficient on its own. When properly designed, living shorelines reduce erosion, improve water quality, support habitat, and enhance resilience to storms and sea-level rise, with benefits often increasing as biological communities establish and mature. In contrast, projects that add vegetation or habitat features to armored shorelines should not be classified as living shorelines if they fail to maintain connectivity and core coastal processes. This paper presents a science-based, process-oriented framework for evaluating whether a shoreline project functions as a living shoreline in practice.
Description
Date
2026-04-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Collections
Download Dataset
Rights Holder
The author
Usage License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Embargo
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Citation
Bilkovic, D. M., P. Mason, R. Isdell, J. Fergel, A. Rose, G. Benson, D. Recco, C. Tombleson, K. Nunez, and K. Havens. 2026. The Science Behind Virginia’s Living Shoreline Standards: Resource for Coastal Decision-Making. Center for Coastal Resources Management, William & Mary’s Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Virginia.