Building Living Shorelines

These women are working to help the waters in their own different ways.

The opportunity for a person to make a living doing what they love while making a real difference is rare. For three local women, the work they do will impact the lives and livelihoods of those in coastal communities for years to come. SARAH DOSS, MARAE WEST, and CHRISTY SWANN are each dedicated to preserving the health and viability of our coastline and waters using their unique passions, talents, and skills.

Ever since MARAE WEST was a little girl, she has loved science, and as the daughter of a coastal scientist, it was always a part of her life. Now, as executive vice president of SANDBAR Oyster Co., the company her father, NIELS LINDQUIST, co-founded, she is doing what she was born to do.

“I became a scientist because I love learning, exploring, and innovating. Being around science was a standard part of my upbringing,” West says.

Together with a commercial fisherman, Lindquist developed a biodegradable hardscape composed of plant-fiber cloths and a mineral-based hardening agent. This substrate provides a novel way to grow oysters as well as an excellent tool for coastal regeneration.

“Oyster reefs are a crucial component of the coastal ecosystem to prevent erosion and improve water quality. Not only do these reefs provide oysters and their benefits, but they also trap sediment to grow salt marsh,” West explains.

SANDBAR’s Oyster Catcher biodegradable hardscape combines oyster reefs and salt marsh habitat to form “living shorelines” that provide erosion control and fish habitat.

With the installation of hard stabilization, regrowth of lost sediments and grasses is promoted while maintaining the natural ecology of the local ecosystem. The company makes the reef frameworks at its manufacturing facility in Leland.

“It has evolved into an awesome tool for coastal regeneration to protect the coast. We are a niche market, but there are solutions. You can’t stop the water, but you can increase elevation and help the marsh grow back,” West says. “We protect investments by reducing the loss around a bulkhead, trapping sediment, and increasing the elevational profile.”

In her role at SANDBAR, West is working to secure partnerships with business ventures, engineering firms, homeowners, and military special projects to restore coastal marshes, the first line of defense for coastal properties.

“Our core is manufacturing, and we have the potential for substantial workforce development,” she says. “We are scientists becoming entrepreneurs, creating a positive impact.”

By partnering with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to reduce the financial burden on property owners, SANDBAR is helping to make their erosion control solutions more accessible to support more protection from storm surge, flooding, and sea-level rise and reduce the long-term costs of insurance and disaster response.

“It is a great incentive that not a lot of people know about,” West says, “but it is really cool to have that cost share available, so more people can take advantage and protect their properties.”

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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