Living Breakwaters is designed to work in concert with other ongoing resilience initiatives in the area, including the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Tottenville Dune and Coastal Dune Plantings project. The team’s work with the Harbor School and the Billion Oyster Project will bring educational opportunities for local school groups, teaching the next generation of ecological stewards about protecting Staten Island’s fragile coastline.
The structure will provide habitat to the Raritan Bay’s rich ecosystem of marine life, and an on-land Water Hub will be constructed with space for visiting groups, recreational activities, and educational programs. The proposal envisions a “necklace” of offshore breakwaters that will reduce risk, revive ecologies, and connect residents and educators to Staten Island’s southeast shoreline. The Living Breakwaters competition concept was conceived to connect physical, social, and ecological resilience.
