Data from: Living shorelines enhanced the resilience of saltmarshes to Hurricane Matthew (2016)

Nature-based solutions, such as living shorelines, have the potential to
restore critical ecosystems, enhance coastal sustainability, and increase
resilience to natural disasters; however, their efficacy during storm
events compared to traditional hardened shorelines is largely untested.
This is a major impediment to their implementation and promotion to
policy-makers and homeowners. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated
rock sill living shorelines as compared to natural marshes and hardened
shorelines (i.e. bulkheads) in North Carolina, USA for changes in surface
elevation, Spartina alterniflora stem density, and structural damage from
2015-2017, including before and after Hurricane Matthew (2016). Our
results show that living shorelines exhibited better resistance to
landward erosion during Hurricane Matthew than bulkheads and natural
marshes. Additionally, living shorelines were more resilient than hardened
shorelines, as they maintained landward elevation over the two-year study
period without requiring any repair. Finally, rock sill living shorelines
were able to enhance S. alterniflora stem densities over time when
compared to natural marshes. Our results suggest that living shorelines
have the potential to improve coastal resilience while supporting
important coastal ecosystems.