Cindy Palinkas - SMSP Spring Seminar Series 2026
From Taylor Link
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"Rooted in Resilience: Using Science to Inform Living Shoreline Management and Practice"
Cindy Palinkas
UMCES (Horn Point)
April 24th at 12:00pm
Cannon 203 + via zoom in Robinson 202
Hosted by Andrew Wozniak
Abstract: Natural and nature-based approaches to shoreline management are becoming standard practice in estuaries and coastal embayments worldwide. However, research into their long-term performance has lagged behind installation, with few opportunities to establish time series at individual sites and/or capture pre- and post-installation data at individual sites. Consequently, practitioners often rely on disparate datasets that vary in physical setting and methodology. This talk presents a unique dataset of field-based observations at living shorelines with ages 0 (pre-installation) to ~20 years in the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay, all collected using identical techniques. This dataset addresses two critical management questions: 1) how long it takes for a living shoreline to achieve functional equivalency with natural marshes, and 2) whether living shorelines impact submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV). Our findings suggest that while predictable trajectories for sediment and vegetation exist, they are often disrupted by site-specific responses to environmental drivers. Additionally, while structures do not appear to impact SAV offshore, the initial footprint often converts subtidal SAV habitat to intertidal marsh. These results offer vital insights for adaptive management, project design, and navigating ecological trade-offs in permitting.
Zoom Recording ID: 99293238656 UUID: XjjCpGv6QAiRpjsu8xxepg== Meeting Time: 2026-04-24 03:45:19pmGMT
Zoom Recording ID: 99293238656 UUID: XjjCpGv6QAiRpjsu8xxepg== Meeting Time: 2026-04-24 03:45:19pmGMT
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