Archives: Publications

Arid Southwest Natural and Nature-Based Feature Workshop summary : held in Albuquerque District, 7–8 May 2025

Cover for ERDC SR-26-6 titled Arid Southwest Natural and Nature-Based Feature Workshop summary : held in Albuquerque District, 7–8 May 2025.

Communities in the arid southwest region of the U.S. are experiencing increased aridification, drought, and extreme precipitation events, causing property damage, putting lives at risk, and disrupting local economies. The natural infrastructure approach features measures and techniques that use ecosystem processes to reduce flood risk, increase resilience, and improve water security in arid environments. However, […]

Laboratory Experiment of a Live Dune Sample to Validate Vegetated Dune Response

Coastal dunes are naturally occurring barriers that serve as defense measures from wave action and storm inundation. To combat coastal erosion, sediment placement efforts consisting of man-made dune construction are commonplace to protect coastal communities and shoreline infrastructure. Few dune construction practices consider the differences between man-made dunes and naturally established dunes regarding engineering and […]

Laboratory Study of Wave Attenuation and Spectral Dissipation Induced by Mangroves with Stilt Root Morphology

Cover of the Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering, featuring a blue-toned aerial image of a coastal port facility.

With rising global temperatures, the poleward migration of mangroves may enhance their contribution to coastal protection. Although the wave attenuation capacity of Rhizophora stilt roots is well established, their influence on wave spectral transformation remains less understood. This study investigates wave height attenuation and associated spectral dissipation using a near-prototype physical model of a Rhizophora […]

Engineering practice guide for oyster reefs : a natural infrastructure approach for coastal systems

Cover of ERDC Technical Report 26-16, Engineering Practice Guide for Oyster Reefs: A Natural Infrastructure Approach for Coastal Systems, from the Engineering With Nature® Program, dated June 2026. U.S. Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and ERDC logos appear across the top. The cover features two close-up photographs of oyster clusters and small circular illustrations representing different oyster reef materials and structures. A red vertical sidebar identifies the Engineer Research and Development Center and report number ERDC TR-26-16. The bottom states that the report is approved for public release with unlimited distribution.

Well-designed oyster reefs enhance coastal resilience by attenuating wave energy, influencing sediment transport, and stabilizing shorelines. As ecosystem engineers, oysters create biogenic reef structures that provide habitat, improve water quality, and support estuarine productivity. When appropriately designed, they can also contribute to coastal storm risk management and navigation improvement objectives. Historically, oyster reefs were widespread […]

Proceedings from the Great Lakes Engineering With Nature® natural and nature-based features playbook workshop

Cover of ERDC SR-26-3

Communities in the Great Lakes are experiencing increased frequency in coastal flooding and erosion, causing property damage, putting lives at risk, and disrupting local economies. To address these challenges, two workshops were conducted (18 February 2025 [virtual] and 26–27 February 2025 [in person]) to collect knowledge, insights, and feedback from community members, policymakers, and Tribal […]

Can fine sediment addition promote carbon stabilization in coastal wetland soils? A laboratory experiment

Scientists are increasingly exploring soil carbon (C) stabilization processes that protect soil organic C from microbial decomposition. Mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is considered one of the most protected pools of soil C, but remains understudied in wetland soils relative to upland soils. Using complementary intact soil core and bottle incubation studies, this research investigated how […]

Field Evidence of Carbon and Nitrogen Stabilization Through Mineral-Associated Organic Matter Formation in Coastal Wetland Soils

With environmental conditions dynamic by nature, research often aims to understand the factors that influence soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage through the inhibition of soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization. Characterization of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM), a stable pool of SOM, has been heavily researched in upland soils, but quantification within wetland soils remains […]

Engineering With Nature® Proving Grounds Innovation Handbook

The cover of the "Engineering With Nature Proving Grounds Innovation Handbook." The image shows a vibrant coastal marsh with a city skyline in the distance, under a clear blue sky. The title is at the top, with a series of six colorful icons below it. At the bottom are the logos of the U.S. Army, ERDC, and other partners, with the text "Produced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2026."

The Engineering With Nature® Proving Grounds Innovation Handbook provides a comprehensive framework for integrating innovative natural and nature-based features and sediment management strategies to address climate-driven hazards and increase resilience in coastal and fluvial environments. Developed through collaboration between engineers, scientist, landscape architects, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts and divisions, the EWN Handbook […]

Coastal nature-based solutions and remote sensing data: selecting performance metrics and evaluating data availability

First page of a research letter titled “Coastal nature-based solutions and remote sensing data: Selecting performance metrics and evaluating data availability.” Authors include Scott L. Spurgeon, Justin L. Shawler, Kathryn J. Smith, Loderay I.M. Bracero Marrero, and Samuel S. Jackson, with affiliations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and partner organizations. The page includes an abstract describing the use of coastal imagery and lidar from the National Coastal Mapping Program (NCMP) to assess performance metrics for nature-based solutions such as dunes, beaches, and barrier islands. A keywords box lists terms like aerial imagery, lidar, shoreline change, vegetation, and volume change. The lower portion begins the article text discussing the growing need for nature-based solutions in coastal engineering and the importance of standardized performance metrics. Footer shows “Shore & Beach, Vol. 94, No. 1, Winter 2026,” page 28.

While traditional field-based methods are typically used to assess project performance of nature-based solutions (NBS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Coastal Mapping Program (NCMP) has regularly collected coastal imagery and Lidar datasets, resulting in a wealth of information proven successful for assessing coastal storm risk, storm impacts, and dune vegetation benefits. This Research […]

Building Tomorrow: Unlocking the Potential of Additive Manufacturing to Revolutionize Coastal Infrastructure

Cover image for journal article "Building Tomorrow: Unlocking the Potential of Additive Manufacturing to Revolutionize Coastal Infrastructure" showing the title of the journal, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, and the title of the article, author names, and abstract.

Natural and engineered waterborne infrastructure are critical resources necessary for coastal protection, economic security, and ecosystem services; however, increasing pressures from natural hazard events are compromising the performance and resilience of these systems. Addressing these challenges requires innovative approaches that enhance infrastructure functionality while expanding social, economic, ecological, and recreational benefits. Additive manufacturing (AM), including […]