Georgia's vital salt marshes are disappearing, but an innovative new project is using restaurant leftovers to save them.

What's happening?

Researchers on Sapelo Island are seeing the effects of our warming planet firsthand. "We realized that sea-level rise is starting to inundate some of the fields we work in," noted Nik Heynen, a University of Georgia professor, in a report from UGA Research.

This problem is being made much worse by the disappearance of oyster reefs. According to the Georgia Conservancy, these reefs are the coast's natural line of defense, acting as a solid barrier to protect marshes from being washed away. But in some parts of the state, 90% of these critical oyster populations are already gone.

However, folks in Georgia ain't taking it lying down. To fight this, a nonprofit, Shell to Shore, is collecting empty oyster shells from restaurants and using them to rebuild the protective reefs. A new study from the Georgia Sea Grant confirmed this strategy works, showing that these restored reefs are key to preventing erosion.

Why is this concerning?

It's easy to write off coastal erosion as a natural process that just happens. But here's the catch: The erosion and flooding devastating communities isn't just "weather." It's a direct consequence of human activity.

The burning of dirty energy sources releases pollution that overheats the planet, causing sea levels to rise. This overheating also supercharges extreme weather, acting like steroids for storms that batter our coasts, making them more frequent and dangerous.

We're not just talking about losing some mud. Communities, homes, and local economies are being endangered. When the natural defenses are gone, there is nothing left to stop the water.

What's being done about this issue?

This is where the good news comes in. The Shell to Shore project is a powerful, solutions-oriented model. 

"There's a lot of people coming together because they see the value of reducing waste and creating a flow of something that can help solve problems," Heynen told UGA Research. "For me, being able to experience this with students and bring worlds together feels very exciting."

Even better, this "living shoreline" strategy is gaining traction elsewhere. In the Philippines, officials are planting a "coastal greenbelt" of mangroves, which one study found can reduce wave energy by up to 66%.

In California, researchers found that reintroducing sea otters slowed erosion by up to 90% in some areas. Sometimes, the solution is community action, like in Hawai'i, where a local nonprofit saved a 27.4-acre sacred coastline from resort development. For those wanting to learn more, there's a lot of useful information to keep you better informed about these critical issues.

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