Santa Rosa Sound

In this LSL example from Santa Rosa Sound, coir logs made of coconut fiber were installed in September 2013 to help stabilize the sediment prior to planting, which occurred in December 2013. The fetch here was between one and three miles, so the site needed a little more stabilization than plants alone could provide. By July 2014, both coir logs and plants were doing their job well. Once secured, coir logs remain in place until they biodegrade, which happens in about one to three years. They stabilize until natural sedimentation occurs, and plants take over the stabilization role. It is possible that this project could have included an oyster reef breakwater, but the area is very shallow such that oysters would be too exposed at low tide.

Plants listed in order of position from wetland to upland:
Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass)
Juncus roemerianus (black needle rush)
Spartina patens (saltmeadow cordgrass)
Baccharis halimifolia (saltbush)
Spartina bakeri (sand cordgrass)

Photos by Florida DEP