Arundel Rivers Federation Parole, Maryland
Ecosystem Planning and Restoration, LLC (EPR) was contracted by Resource Restoration Group, LLC (RRG) to develop a living shoreline design for the Arundel Rivers Federation (ARF) along a shoreline within Glebe Bay and the South River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. This segment of shoreline, owned by the Turnbull Estates Homeowner’s Association, is affected by a moderate shoreline erosion rate and has been identified by ARF as a major source of sediment to Glebe Bay, home to an existing oyster sanctuary. EPR was hired by RRG (as the construction contractor for the work) to design the living shoreline. EPR’s proposed design helps prevent further erosion and improve oyster habitat through the incorporation of Reef BallsTM, referred to as oyster balls when targeted for oyster habitat creation, within the living shoreline design. Reef BallsTM are a patented technology developed by the Reef Ball Foundation (www.reefball.org) and are designed to provide stable artificial habitat that can promote marine animal and plant colonization, including oysters. Due to their ability to attenuate waves, they have been used for some shoreline stabilization projects within the Southeastern United States; however, this use can still be considered experimental in the Maryland area. This is the first time these structures are intended to work in a shoreline and marsh restoration effort. The Glebe Bay/Turnbull Estates Living Shoreline project is now currently being constructed. As of August 27, 2019, nearly six dozen concrete reef balls with baby oysters have been planted along the waterfront.
After the shoreline itself, the area in between the shore and the protective Reef Balls has important sand, hard bottom and muddy habitats too. Seagrasses help stablize the non-hard areas.
Seagrasses don't grow directly on Reef Balls but instead in the area between the reef balls and the seashore. Seagrasses thrive better in environments where they are not destroyed by high energy kick back from man-made obstructions such as seawalls.
Oysters and many other filter feeders such as sponges, barnacles, tunicates, filter eating crabs and algae grow on the reef balls and they are critical to manage sedimentation and turbidity of our waters. An oyster all by itself can filter feed as much as 50 gallons a day. Working together the marine life the attaches and grows on Reef Balls can filter thousands of gallons per day per Reef Ball.
From an even more scientific perspective, denitrification occurs as the waste from these filter feeds combines with the high micro surface area of the Reef Balls and oyster shells in areas where water flows slowly through those surfaces. This helps remove human pollution from fertilizers and other sources of nitrogen.
Reef ball living shorelines also create unique opportunities for humans,snorkeling, nearshore fishing, and even just viewing nature from the land or dock to relax our busy minds.