1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Mobile (FUA) Region Northern America Short description of the intervention Located southeast of Bayou La Batre, Coffee Island is a barrier island that provides a buffering capacity for shorelines in Mobile County [5]. Since 1950, the shoreline on the island has been eroding. In response, the Nature Conservancy has put in a ‘’living shoreline’’ construction in 2010 to reduce wave energy and decrease erosion the island has been facing [1]. A ‘’living shoreline’’, ‘’refers to the use of nature-based techniques and materials such as oyster shells, reef blocks, bagged shells, live shellfish, and plants to help protect eroding shorelines’’ [2]. While the living shorelines constructed in 2010 still provide habitat benefits, these efforts no longer protect the shoreline from erosion. This in turn threatens not only the island's buffering capacity, but also the integrity of the marsh on the island [5]. Therefore, the Nature Conservancy has secured funding for a second project on the island, the Coffee Island Restoration project (in 2023) that aims to implement a (longer) 5,000-foot living shoreline breakwater, including the use of ‘’super sacks’’ – a specific kind of sediment barriers functioning as dikes – to protect the coastline while enhancing habitat [4, 6] Website of the intervention https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/Coffee-Island-living… Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding) Sea level rise Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Coastal wetlands Address United States Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/Coffee-Island-living-shorelines.pdf Area description Seascape Type of area before implementation of the NBS Sea coast (e.g. dunes, beach) Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) unknown Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2010 End date of the intervention ongoing Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention The barrier island protects the coastal community in Mobile Bay from a changing climate, yet the island itself has been facing erosion. The projects (in 2010, 2023) aim to decrease erosion, while creating fishery-related jobs and restoring habitat, including oyster reefs, which in turn could protect 10 acres of seagrass and marsh habitats [1]. In addition to seagrass, marsh and oyster habitat, the island provides a stopping point for birds coming through the Mississippi Flyway [6]. Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change adaptation Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14) Coastal protection / hazard mitigation Marine and coastal biodiversity protection Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Habitat and biodiversity restoration Economic development and employment (SDG 8) Employment/job creation Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Restore mangroves, marshes, reefs and wetlands to dissipate the effects of storms and floodwaters Restore sediment supply to coastal zone What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Species-focused Ecosystem-focused What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets? Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified) Restore valued species Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities On Coffee Island, the living shoreline design constructed in 2010 included 1.5 acres of reef breakwater and living shoreline habitat. These oyster reefs were realised through a special technique – 325 ‘’ReefBLK breakwaters’’ - which are bagged oyster shells, alongside 1968 reef balls and 100,000 bags of shell [1]. These techniques are part of a larger effort in Mobile Bay to experiment and find techniques that can reduce wave energy and protect the shoreline while realising habitat and economic benefits. These cages, sadly, did not attract enough oysters to secure and keep the ReefBLKs in place. Therefore, contractors have removed the Reef BLK breakwaters in 2024 [3]. In 2025, the Nature Conservancy has secured funding for the Coffee Island Restoration project that aims to implement a 5,000-foot living shoreline breakwater, including the use of ‘’super sacks’’ – a specific kind of sediment barriers functioning as dikes – to protect the coastline while enhancing habitat [4, 6] Type of NBS project Coastal landscape management or protection Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows) Improving coastal resilience Ecological restoration of ecosystems Restoration of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass) Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems) Protection of natural ecosystems Protecton and enhancement of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass) Habitat restoration Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity Habitat mapping, restoration and monitoring-focused management 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Blue infrastructure Deltas Coastlines Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Coastal protection Water purification / filtration Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Scale Spatial scale Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The island has no residents; the nearby town Bayou La Batre is home to French immigrants, Southeast Asian refugees and African Americans. Socio-economic profile of the area Middle-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Yes Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities Low-income neighborhoods Coastal communities Communities located in floodplains Non-government actors Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches Primary Beneficiaries Coastal-dependent communities (e.g. small-scale fishers, coastal farmers, and indigenous peoples) Marginalized groups Elderly people Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed) Disadvantaged ethnic or racial groups Vulnerable populations in disaster-prone areas Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Native plant vegetation Endangered species (flora and fauna) Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Led by non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The NGO the Nature Conservancy has led the Coffee Island Living Shoreline project and now the Coffee Island Restoration project. With the 2010 project, the Nature Conservancy partnered with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources State Lands Division, Mobile County Government, University of South Alabama, University of North Florida, Center for Community Initiatives, Dauphin Island Sea Lab With the 2023 project, Volkert, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the City of Bayou la Batre and Mayor Henry Barnes partnered on the project. Key actors - initiating organization Non-government organisation/civil society Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) National government Regional government Local government/municipality Researchers/university Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Dissemination of information and education Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Other Please specify other landowner Public land owned by Mobile County Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy No NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan No NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan No Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES)) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers Hurdles in getting sufficient number of oysters to sustain the oyster breakwaters Financing Total cost More than €4,000,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) 1,689,000 (2010); 14.6 million dollars (2023) What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? n/a Source(s) of funding Public national budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of labour Co-finance for NBS No Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Risk reduction model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Increased protection against sea level rise Expected increased protection against sea level rise Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters Expected strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion) Expected enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion) Water management and blue areas Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems Green space and habitat Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Environmental impact indicators Other indicators 36% improved shoreline protection Economic impacts Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions) Achieved increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions) Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Economic impact indicators Number of jobs created (e.g. park maintenance, landscaping, ecotourism) 152 jobs (2010) Social and cultural impacts Safety Improved community safety to climate-related hazards Expected improved community safety to climate-related hazards Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Yes Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts Researchers/university Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Progress indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis No Transparency Meetings with stakeholders’ representatives Community forums for information sharing and encouraging the participation of marginalized groups Public disclosure of project funding sources and/or budgets Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Other Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected Marine debris due to the oyster breakwaters Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Reaching original project goals Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. (n.d.). 1. Living Shorelines Coffee Island. [Download]; 2. (n.d.). 2. Our Living Shorelines. [Download]; 3. (2024). 3. Breakwater debris removed from Coffee Island, oysters relocated to Lightning Point Living Shoreline. Accessed on May 21, 2025, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. (2023). 4. Coffee Island in Mobile gets award of $14.6M from NOAA for shoreline implementation by the Nature Conservancy. Accessed on May 21, 2025, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. (n.d.). 5. Living Shorelines. Accessed on May 21, 2025, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. (n.d.). 6. Milestone (M4.1) Naturescapes Case study report Mobile (confidential).; Comments and notes Comments [1] Coffee-Island-living-shorelines.pdf [2] our_living_shorelines_small.pdf [3] 2024, Breakwater debris removed from Coffee Island, oysters relocated to Lightning Point Living Shoreline - Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Link: https://www.disl.edu/news/2024/breakwater-debris-removed-from-coffee-island-oysters-relocated-to-lightning-point-living-shoreline/ [4] 2023, Coffee Island in Mobile gets award of $14.6M from NOAA for shoreline implementation by the Nature Conservancy. Link: https://dredgewire.com/coffee-island-in-mobile-gets-award-of-14-6m-from-noaa-for-shoreline-implementation-by-the-nature-conservancy/ [5] The Baker Lab, Alabama Living Shorelines Restoration and Monitoring Project. Link: https://bakerlab.wixsite.com/baker-lab/living-shorelines [6] Milestone (M4.1) Naturescapes Case study report Mobile (confidential) Public Images Image Coffee Island eroding shoreline before construction (2022) Source: Baker Lab
