Shaping coastal nature-based solutions: Perceptions and policy priorities of living shorelines

Coastal nature-based solutions, such as living shorelines, are promoted as shoreline stabilization alternatives to hard infrastructure in the United States. In the state of Florida, where sea level rise and increasing storms impact coastal areas, living shorelines are a state research priority to support coastal risk reduction and resilience goals. However, while the ecological benefits of living shorelines are well-documented, few studies have examined the social and institutional factors that hinder or support the design and implementation of living shorelines in Florida.

Our study applies an integrated framework combining results from expert interviews with a policy analysis to evaluate decision-making contexts and considerations related to living shorelines in Florida. We present barriers and enablers of living shorelines as perceived by practitioners and marine contractors. Key barriers to adoption of living shorelines include rule or permitting-related mismatches, community-level use and access concerns, and environmental design uncertainties. Enablers include community-level education and incentives, increased demonstration projects, and criteria or policy standardization for living shorelines. We then connect these barriers and enablers to policy priority patterns drawn from coastal management plans in select Florida counties. These policy priority patterns involve defining nature-based and hard solutions, addressing public and private access concerns, and resolving restoration and conservation goals when considering living shorelines as an appropriate coastline stabilization and protection measure. By connecting on-the-ground practical experiences with insights from coastal management policies, our study provides a socio-institutional methodology and contextual baseline for the planning and implementation of living shorelines in Florida and similar coastal areas.