By Abigail Bromberger | US Environmental Policy Student
2/21/25
Natural disasters have become more common, more dangerous, and more deadly, while new infrastructure to deal with these disasters has been unable to keep up; meanwhile, policy is struggling to provide adequate solutions to problems created by climate change. Coastal communities in particular face threats from sea level rise, flooding, increasingly severe storms, and intense precipitation; additionally, as coral reefs, seagrasses, barrier islands, marshlands, wetlands, and oyster reefs each face unique threats, natural shoreline protection is dwindling.[1] These natural features are often overlooked in considerations of coastal climate risks, as they represent the loss of preventative ecosystems rather than active dangers. Nevertheless, they are crucially important to the safety and sustainability of our coasts. Solutions to these problems are widespread and can be generally divided into two different categories: solutions that use grey infrastructure and those that use green, or nature-based solutions. Nature-based solutions are approaches that use of natural features to address threats to the climate, and they often seek to reduce coastal hazards and offer holistic answers to problems that consider the ecosystem as a whole. They can be considered both preventative and reactive solutions, as they are often responding to an issue created or exacerbated by the effects of climate change, while simultaneously implementing care and building systems of support to allow ecosystems to rebuild and heal.[2]
For example, in the Chesapeake Bay, coastal islands and marshes are disappearing rapidly, but there have been successful restorations in recent years. One restoration in particular –– Swan Island, a 25-acre island in Martin National Wildlife Refuge in Tangier Sound, Chesapeake Bay –– exemplifies the importance of the government’s role in these processes. The restoration of this island was completed by collaboration from the US Army Corp of Engineer (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center, the USACE Baltimore District, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, indicating the importance of collaboration within and between government entities in both completing the restoration and educating the public.[3]
Nature-based solutions are incredibly important and often funded or facilitated by the US government. Whether it’s a federal agency like NOAA, state agencies like the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, or local municipalities, the government’s cooperation and participation in the implementation and development of nature-based solutions is often the key to success.[4] As the Trump administration guts the federal government and fires employees that work directly on environmental issues, it’s crucial to understand the value of government-funded nature-based solutions.[5] Outside of funding, the government also provides policy and regulatory support, research and data facilitation, and assistance with the large-scale coordination that is often required for nature-based solution projects. What’s more, these projects often occur on public land, meaning that federal government involvement –– be it the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, or the the US Forest Service –– is not only useful but also necessary. Given the uncertainty of the future of federal environmental programs, there are clear benefits to private citizens’ understanding of coastal nature-based solutions. The most common practices, as alluded to above, are marshland/barrier island restoration and seagrass/reef (both coral and oyster) restoration.
Coastal islands/marshland are important because they act as wave breaks for coastal towns, but due to shoreline erosion and subsidence, they’ve been deteriorating over time. Restoring these islands, through a process of revegetation and dredging, can help reduce shoreline erosion by absorbing wave energy and protecting coasts from extreme weather events, leading to a smaller storm surge and less flooding; additionally, restored islands support more diverse vegetative ecosystems, which offer their own, complex benefits.[6] To restore a coastal island or marshland, the first step is to rebuild the structure of the land mass through a process known as dredging, which is essentially the scooping-out of sediment from a water environment. This sediment (often measured in the thousands of cubic yards, depending on the restoration’s size) can then be used to restore the footprint of an island. After this point, hundreds of thousands of plants are installed in the newly formed island to create dunes and marsh, both high and low. This component of the restoration adds much-needed biodiversity in addition to structural support.[7]
Reef and seagrass restoration is important for reasons similar to coastal island and marshland restoration, because reefs (both oyster and coral) and seagrasses also act as storm surge buffers and prevent erosion to nearby shorelines, in addition to providing marine habitats, supporting vegetation in marshes and coastal islands, and improving water quality (oyster reefs are particularly useful for improving water quality, as a single oyster filters 50 gallons of water a day). In fact, some coral reefs reduce wave energy by 97% and wave height by 84%.[8] Restoration for reefs and seagrasses vary, and each element has a variety of its own restoration techniques; for example, coral reefs can be restored through fragmentation, micro-fragmentation, or larval propagation. Seagrasses can be restored through seed-based restoration, sod transplantation, or sediment stabilization, and oyster reefs can be restored through shell recycling and deployment or hatchery-based seedings, each of which carries its own benefits.[9] Given the marine expertise required to conduct these kinds of restorations, NOAA is especially relevant and important, as they provide technical assistance and funding help to restoration projects across the country. The agency has a Restoration Center that houses the Coral Reef Conservation Program and has funded more than 70 oyster restoration projects in 15 states. The provided technical assistance includes help with the latest restoration techniques, the feasibility of potential projects, and guidance on regulatory requirements. [10]
Without help from government entities, both financial and organizational, nature-based solutions will plummet in successful implementation rates and in efficacy. NOAA is currently facing imminent threats to its workforce –– it is possible that by publication, the agency will already have experienced mass firings. Nature-based solutions are the future of the fight against climate change, but their future is uncertain. However, without sustained investment, projects like wetland restoration and coastal resilience will struggle to scale, limiting their impact. Beyond funding, government coordination is crucial for setting regulations, guiding large-scale projects, and uniting stakeholders. Without this leadership, nature-based initiatives risk becoming fragmented and underfunded, as private investment alone often falls short. Nature-based solutions are a key tool in climate resilience, but without dedicated government backing, their future — and that of vulnerable communities — remai
[1] “Climate Change Impacts on Coasts.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 25 Mar. 2025, www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-coasts#:~:text=U.S.%20coastal%20counties%20face%20permanent,over%20the%20past%20four%20decades.
[2] “Restoration and Nature-Based Solutions.” National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 24 Mar. 2025, https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/science-areas/climate-change/restoration-and-nature-based-solutions/
[3] NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. “Swan Island Restoration Engineering With Nature (EWN) Principles In Practice.” ArcGIS StoryMaps, Esri, 1 Mar. 2022, https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7156cfc6353048ad92ef80f737b77c29
[4] (Last accessed Feb. 19, 2025). https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/future-conditions/nature-based-solutions
[5] Chase, Brett. “Trump Reverses Course, Reinstates Some EPA Workers Fired from Chicago Office Just Days Earlier.” Chicago Sun-Times, 19 Feb. 2025, https://chicago.suntimes.com/environment/2025/02/19/trump-reinstates-recently-fired-chicago-epa-workers-pollution
[6] Davis, J., Whitfield, P., Szimanski, D., Golden, B.R., Whitbeck, M., Gailani, J., Herman, B., Tritinger, A., Dillon, S.C. and King, J. (2022), A framework for evaluating island restoration performance: A case study from the Chesapeake Bay. Integr Environ Assess Manag, 18: 42-48. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4437
[7] NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. “Swan Island Restoration Engineering With Nature (EWN) Principles In Practice.” ArcGIS StoryMaps, Esri, 1 Mar. 2022, https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7156cfc6353048ad92ef80f737b77c29
[8] “Restoring Offshore Features.” Naturally Resilient Communities, https://nrcsolutions.org/restoring-offshore-features-osyter-reefs-coral-reefs-and-seagrasses/
[9] Gamble C., Debney, A., Glover, A., Bertelli, C.,
Green, B., Hendy, I., Lilley, R., Nuuttila, H., Potouroglou, M., Ragazzola, F., Unsworth, R. and Preston, J, (eds) (2021). Seagrass Restoration Handbook. Zoological Society of London, UK., London, UK, https://catchmentbasedapproach.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ZSL00168-Seagrass-Restoration-Handbook_20211108.pdf
[10] “Oyster Reef Habitat.” NOAA, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/oyster-reef-habitat