Functional Assessments of Living Shorelines

This issue focuses on the assessments of living shoreline function across habitats, locations, and uses to determine: 1. are they meeting the intended project goals, and 2. what else do they do? We have a broad geographic scope of projects and will be highlighting what we are learning from ongoing efforts in determining their function and effectiveness, especially in terms of providing supplemental habitat. We aim to fill knowledge gaps and provide precise recommendations on moving forward.

Submission Guidelines:

For inclusion in this Special Issue, please incorporate discussion on the following points, if applicable to your study:

1. What was the goal of the Living Shoreline installation/project? (If unknown, you should state this)

2. What was the goal of your study?

3. Based on the data you have collected and other relevant peer-reviewed studies, provide a projection for how this project will function long-term (e.g., 30 to 50 years), given local threats and stressors (e.g, urbanization, climate change, local sea levels). Do you think the current outcomes/functions you have measured will have long-term persistence?

4. Are natural ecosystem processes, relative to shorelines in the local area, enhanced, disrupted or unaffected by this living shoreline project and can you describe how, using the history of the site and baseline conditions (if data are available)?

5. Are the metrics and timeline of your scientific monitoring of the living shoreline sufficient to capture unintended outcomes, either positive, negative, or neutral?

Please submit your manuscripts to the Guest Editors for pre-review prior to submitting them through the ESCO Submission Portal and receiving formal reviews. This will ensure each manuscript fits into the theme and with our pre-review feedback, will have the best chance of acceptance.

Guest Editors: Jennifer DeBose Jennifer.DeBose@dmr.ms.gov, Rachel Gittman gittmanr17@ecu.edu, and Ayesha Gray ayesha.gray@dmr.ms.gov