Living Shorelines
The Delaware Estuary Living Shoreline Initiative (DELSI) was created to address the increased loss of tidal salt marshes in the Delaware Estuary. In 2008, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE) and Rutgers University developed the DELSI Tactic to help stabilize these eroding shorelines using a combination of native wetland plants, natural structures, and intertidal shellfish to trap sediment and absorb waves. This unique living shoreline tactic provides an economical approach for communities in the Delaware Estuary to combat the erosion of tidal marshes, which provide valuable services. Tidal marshes act as the estuary’s kidneys by filtering water. When waters rise, marshes act like sponges, retaining floodwaters and buffering against powerful storm surges. They also provide spawning sites, foraging areas, and nesting grounds to fish, birds, and animals.
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