The indigenous Pointe-au-Chien tribe used oyster shells to help them create a living shoreline as a defense mechanism against hurricanes wave action to protect culturally significant sites.

Nature-based Intervention:

The local Pointe-au-Chien tribe has collected over 3.5 million kilograms of oyster shells, which are a by product of the local restaurant industry, and have used them to create artificial oyster reefs to protect the shoreline from coastal erosion. The discarded shells are picked up from local restaurants daily, undergo a 6th month sterilization process, and then are fashioned into artificial reefs along the local shoreline. The sterile shells are ideal habitat for oyster larvae and attract them to establish on the structure and furthering the natural regeneration of the reef.

Overview of context and outcomes:

Louisiana is a state which experiences frequent hurricanes and is at high risk for coastal erosion and sea level rise. Since the 1930s the state has already lost 4,700 square kilometres of land area and it is expected to loose even more than that over the next half century. This has jeopardized important cultural burial mounds for the Pointe-au-Chien who have lead this intervention to help preserve their heritage.