The Deer Island Restoration project uses revegetation and nearby dredging material to restore the barrier island’s footprint and increase local community storm protection.

Nature-based Intervention:

Deer Island is a barrier island in the Mississippi sound which has recently undergone restoration efforts to reverse past degradation. Dredging material from nearby navigation channels was put to beneficial use to expand the shoreline and restore areas which has been degraded by erosion. This was paired with marshland restoration and vegetation planting on the island to accompany the newly creased shorelines. This resulted in the creation of new aquatic and terrestrial habitats for local species. Furthermore the plants play a key role in stabilizing the new shoreline and limiting the erosion of the newly transferred materials.

Overview of context and outcomes:

The Mississippi sound is prone to being hit with high intensity hurricanes. Historically these hurricanes have caused large scale damage to Deer Island and surrounding communities. Since 1850 the island has experienced near continuous erosion resulting in the loss of around 300 acres of land area. This equates to almost one third of the islands original 1850 footprint being lost. As climate change leads to higher sea levels and more severe storms the rate of erosion was likely to increase without intervention putting the local community at greater risk.