SEBASTIAN — One year after oyster reef balls were installed along the shoreline at Riverview Park, early monitoring indicates the restoration project is beginning to meet its goals, according to the Ocean Research and Conservation Association.
Riverview Park is the site of a multi-habitat restoration effort designed to address shoreline erosion while improving ecological function, said Natalie Stephens, a research assistant with ORCA.
“Riverview Park is a multi-habitat restoration project located in Sebastian,” Stephens said.
The project used two primary coastal restoration techniques, beginning with the installation of a living shoreline in November 2024. That phase incorporated modular oyster reef balls alongside native vegetation to reduce erosion and support habitat.
“We used two targeted coastal restoration techniques. The first phase was our living shoreline, which was installed in November of 2024, where we wanted to help stabilize the shoreline using green infrastructure as well as native plantings,” Stephens said. “That’s where we used the module-type oyster reef balls.”
Placed just offshore, the reef balls are designed to soften wave energy while also serving as habitat for marine life.
“Those are placed in the water to help with wave energy, wave abatement, and also help stabilize the shoreline,” Stephens said. “In addition, as a secondary benefit, they can recruit oysters in the area of their presence and provide that substrate for them to live and grow on.”
The reef installation was paired with changes along the upland edge of the shoreline, where turfgrass was replaced with native plants to better manage stormwater.
“The buffered shoreline, which was the second phase of this Riverview Park multi-habitat restoration project, was where we replaced a turfgrass lawn with native vegetation,” Stephens said. “What that does is help slow the flow of stormwater runoff.”
Stephens said the site was selected because of clear signs of long-term erosion caused by both routine wave action and storm impacts.
“This area was carefully chosen because we really saw the need for shoreline restoration,” she said. “That was because of shared evidence of shoreline erosion that was occurring at this site from continual wave action as well as severe hurricane impact over the years.”
She added that the project also supported broader local goals.
“In addition to that, this project aligned with the City of Sebastian’s sustainability plan, so it really provided a wonderful opportunity to show the benefits of both of these restoration techniques,” Stephens said.
Environmental pressures such as rising sea levels have made shoreline restoration increasingly urgent, she said.
“Of course, we have added issues like sea level rise,” Stephens said. “Areas can’t withstand this accelerated erosion.”
ORCA will continue to monitor the Riverview Park site quarterly for the next two to three years, tracking indicators such as water quality, shoreline slope and oyster recruitment. Early data suggests the project is already having an impact.
“So far, the results have been promising,” Stephens said. “We have seen evidence of shoreline accretion in as little as six months. We’ve also seen a large amount of oyster recruitment and growth on the reef balls at the one-year mark.”
Stephens said the reef balls were surveyed again last week, revealing continued growth compared with previous monitoring periods.
Looking ahead, ORCA plans to apply similar techniques at other locations.
“We have a living shoreline that we installed in April of 2024 at Riverside Park,” Stephens said. “We also have a few different projects on the horizon, including a proposed living shoreline behind a homeowners association in Martin County, as well as another living shoreline in the Sebastian Inlet District that we’re looking to be a part of.”