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The Living Shorelines Technical Assistance Program through Mississippi State University (MSU) and the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium has worked for the past six years throughout coastal Mississippi and Alabama to aid waterfront property owners in protecting their shorelines using nature rather than hardening structures. 

Over time, the program has seen year-over-year growth as the number of property owners interested in a more environmentally friendly way to protect their shorelines has increased. 2025 was no different. This year, the team at MSU has assessed over 100 properties – the highest number yet! 

Graph showing the number of living shoreline assessment requests increasing each year from 2019 through 2025, with the highest total occurring in 2025.
This graph shows the number of living shoreline assessment requests received by the Living Shoreline program from 2019-2025. 

Each of these property owners has been (or will be early in the new year) given a shoreline assessment to determine the feasibility of a living shoreline at the site, an individualized design for their property and permitting assistance. All of these services are provided free of charge through the MSU extension service and with the support of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. 

In addition to the technical assistance given to property owners, the Living Shorelines Program has also completed the permitting for the first phase of the Back Bay Living Shoreline in Biloxi, Mississippi. This project, once completed, will protect 2.5 miles of shoreline and be the second longest living shoreline in Mississippi. Permitting is currently being reviewed for phase two of the project by regulatory agencies. 

In addition to the typical work that the program performs, the team has been busy with associated activities in other programs at MSU and across the northern Gulf. Members have helped to collect seeds for the Native Plant Producer Network that will be grown into plants for living shoreline projects, led plant walks for students as part of the Green and Resilient Infrastructure Technical Skills GRITS program and have shared training guides and expertise to aid in the formation of the Perdido and Pensacola Bays Estuary Program’s own Living Shoreline Assistance Program. 

Side-by-side infographic comparing living shorelines and bulkheads. The left side, labeled “Living Shorelines,” lists benefits including preventing erosion and sometimes gaining land, providing habitat for fish and improving water quality, sustaining minor damage while protecting land during storms, having similar installation costs but lower maintenance costs, and adapting and self-maintaining indefinitely. The right side, labeled “Bulkheads,” lists drawbacks including preventing erosion only temporarily before leading to land loss, destroying intertidal habitats and allowing pollution into the water, being susceptible to failure and extreme land loss during storms, requiring ongoing maintenance and replacement costs, and failing within 10 to 30 years and needing rebuilding. Icons in the center represent erosion control, environmental benefits, storm resilience, cost, and lifetime.

2025 has been a successful year for the Living Shorelines Program, and 2026 is anticipated to be even better with more property assessments, more students educated, construction beginning on the Back Bay Living Shoreline and more! 

If you have any questions or would like to request living shoreline assistance, please email me at [email protected]. 

Meet the author

Sara Martin

Wetland Specialist, Mississippi State University

Sara Martin is a wetland specialist and extension associate with the Program for Local Adaptation to Changing Environments and the Mississippi State University (MSU) Coastal Research and Extension... Read more

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