From the sands of the Jersey Shore to the islands of Indonesia, strands of coconut husk, known as coir, are being incorporated into shoreline protection projects.
Often used in conjunction with other measures, the coconut material is seen as a cost-effective, readily available and sustainable option. This is particularly true in developing countries. But the material is also popular in wealthy nations, where it's seen as an important part of so-called “living shorelines” that use natural elements rather than hard barriers of wood, steel or concrete.
Coir is made of the stringy fibers of coconut shells, and spun into mats or logs, often held together with netting. In developing areas, discarded or ripped fishing nets can be incorporated. The logs hold the plants in place as they take root and grow, eventually breaking down and leaving the established plants and sediment around them in place to stabilize the shoreline.One of them is in Boston, where Julia Hopkins, an assistant professor at Northeastern University, is using coconut fibers, wood chips and other material to create floating mats to blunt the force of waves, and encourage growth of aquatic vegetation. A pilot project has four such mats in waterways around Boston.
A project in Austin, Texas, stabilized part of the Lake Austin shoreline; monitoring from 2009 to 2014 showed decreased erosion and the healthy growth of native plants at the water's edge. “It got blown out multiple times,” said Suzan Bellincampi, the sanctuary's director. "We had it in place for a few years and we decided not to reinstall it.
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How coconuts protect the Jersey Shore, other eroding coastsCoastal communities around the world are adding a tropical twist to shoreline protection, courtesy of the humble coconut
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How coconuts protect the Jersey Shore, other eroding coastsCoastal communities around the world are adding a tropical twist to shoreline protection, courtesy of the humble coconut.
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How coconuts protect the Jersey Shore, other eroding coastsNEPTUNE, N.J. (AP) — Coastal communities around the world are adding a tropical twist to shoreline protection, courtesy of the humble coconut. From the sands of the Jersey Shore to the islands of Indonesia, strands of coconut husk, known as coir, are being incorporated into shoreline protection projects.
Read more »