Regardless of their size, islands play a critical role in providing valuable habitat, recreation opportunities, and coastal protection by reducing erosion and wave energy to nearby shorelines. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is restoring and creating islands through the beneficial use of dredged sediment, which is increasing habitats and protecting nearby shorelines. The restoration of Swan Island provides a unique opportunity to quantify and evaluate island performance and use the data to inform future monitoring and adaptive management strategies.