A grassroots project is restoring a battered shoreline with a surprising ally: shellfish.
Oyster reefs, it turns out, are formidable coastal defences, blunting waves and filtering water.
The work is slow, muddy and unglamorous.
Nature's sea wall
The results, after years of effort, are finally visible.
"We are not fighting the sea. We are working with it."
Analysts point to a handful of forces driving the story forward:
- Reefs that break incoming waves
- Cleaner water as a bonus
- A patient, hands-on effort
Similar projects are now taking root elsewhere along the coast.