Photo By Venessa Armenta | Concrete modules lay in the water near the shoreline of Tyndall Air Force Base,...... read more read more
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On October 21, 2024, a groundbreaking project began at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to build a special kind of oyster reef that could protect the base from future storms. This new reef, which combines both man-made materials and living oysters, is part of an innovative effort funded by the U.S. Department of Defense's Reef Defense program. The project is one of several coastal resiliency projects Tyndall is working to execute, and it is designed to help reduce the damage caused by coastal flooding, erosion and hurricanes.
Tyndall, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018, is one of the first places to use this new type of reef. As sea levels rise and storms become stronger, Tyndall's leaders are working to make the base safer, not just for the people working there but also for the surrounding environment.
The reef being installed at Tyndall is made of concrete modules designed to attract oysters. These oysters will eventually attach to the structure and form a "living reef” that will help absorb the energy from big waves and reduce their impact on the shoreline. The design also has large holes that break up waves, helping to protect both the base and nearby areas from flooding.
"Typically, with oyster reefs, you build using limestone, which has to be hauled in from quarries all over the country, but with these modules, we are utilizing an innovative solution to develop a natural base mitigation strategy," said Garey Payne, Natural Disaster Recovery Division acquisition program manager and program deputy flight chief.
This reef is part of a larger project supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Rutgers University. The goal is to create self-healing reefs that can repair themselves over time, making them a sustainable solution for protecting coastlines. These kinds of nature-based solutions are more eco-friendly than traditional seawalls, which can harm marine life. On the other hand, oyster reefs not only help protect shorelines but also provide a home for fish, crabs and other marine creatures.
Tyndall's reef project is just one part of a broader effort. Similar projects are also being tested in other locations, including Hawaii. In total, the Reefense program is using $19.4 million in funding to develop these innovative reef systems, which could one day protect military bases and other vulnerable coastal areas around the world.
The project is expected to take many years to complete, with the goal of protecting over 40 miles of the base's shoreline. It is a step forward in using nature to defend against the dangers posed by rising seas and stronger storms, helping to make Tyndall and other military installations more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
| Date Taken: | 10.30.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2024 19:31 |
| Story ID: | 485125 |
| Location: | TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New reef project at Tyndall AFB aims to protect against storms, by Venessa Armenta, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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