At Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, volunteers and The Nature Conservancy are nearing completion of a living shoreline that TNC says is South Carolina’s longest contiguous oyster-castle shoreline. Sediment buildup behind the reef is a sign erosion has abated.
The work has taken longer than anticipated: The Nature Conservancy initially expected eight volunteer events, but the project will take about 24. Volunteers move the heavy structures along a human chain; the final event to finish the shoreline is set for Oct. 24.
The oyster castles are made from shell, concrete and limestone, unlike the bags or cages of recycled oyster shells the S.C. Department of Natural Resources often uses. Liz Fly of The Nature Conservancy said the material attracts oyster larvae and can withstand stronger wave action on that stretch of the Broad River. Volunteers and staff report new oysters covering the castles and marsh grass growing back.
