Strategies for Successful Mangrove Living Shoreline Stabilizations in Shallow Water Subtropical Estuaries

By combatting erosion and increasing habitat, mangrove living shorelines are an effective alternative to hard-armoring in tropical subtropical areas. An experimental red shoreline was deployed within Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, using a factorial design test the impact of age, breakwater presence, placement on survival first year deployment. Mixed age treatments were included identify if seedling (11-month-old) could be enhanced by presence transitional (23-month-old) adult (35 47-month-old) mangroves. Environmental factors monitored detect possible causes mortalities. Approximately half (50.6%) mangroves died, those, 90.7% occurred annual high-water season, 88.9% showed signs flooding stress. Planting seedlings haphazardly among older did not attenuate enough wave energy significantly increase survival. Breakwaters alleviated stress through reduction water velocity height, odds 197% 437% when planted landward seaward rows, respectively. Compared seedlings, deployment increased 1087%. Collectively, our results indicate that sites with season should utilize structure woody stem.