{"687192":{"#nid":"687192","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Coastal Resilience Project Secures Nearly $1 Million to Restore Wetlands","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded an interdisciplinary team nearly $1 million in funding through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nfwf.org\/programs\/national-coastal-resilience-fund\u0022\u003ENational Coastal Resilience Fund\u003C\/a\u003E to restore coastal wetlands in Georgia. It was the only project in Georgia to be selected for funding from the program\u0027s 2025 call for proposals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe award will support the design of nature-based solutions including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/insight\/understanding-living-shorelines\u0022\u003Eliving shorelines\u003C\/a\u003E and marsh restoration in flood-prone areas of Camden County, Georgia, adjacent to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Cumberland Island National Seashore, and the city of St. Marys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cRestoring wetlands in Camden County is not just an environmental priority \u2014 it\u2019s a resilience strategy for the entire region,\u201d says principal investigator (PI)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor, associate chair for Research in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, and faculty director of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/joel-kostka-named-director-georgia-tech-georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u201cEach acre of restored marshland protects coastal communities from natural hazards like storms and flooding, provides essential marine habitat, and has the potential to aid the Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers in developing management alternatives for dredged materials. When our wetlands flourish, our whole coastline does.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to Kostka, co-PI\u2019s include University of Georgia (UGA) Skidaway Institute of Oceanography Director\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EClark Alexander\u003C\/strong\u003E, UGA Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.uga.edu\/team_member\/matthew-v-bilskie\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatt Bilskie\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.uga.edu\/team_member\/brian-bledsoe-2\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian Bledsoe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.org\/georgia\u0022\u003EThe Nature Conservancy\u003C\/a\u003E Coastal Climate Adaptation Director\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAshby Worley\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Georgia Tech alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENolan Williams\u003C\/strong\u003E of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rde.us\/\u0022\u003ERobinson Design Engineers\u003C\/a\u003E, a firm dedicated to the engineering of natural infrastructure in the Southeast that is owned and operated by Georgia Tech alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJoshua Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA coastal collaboration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new project, known as a \u201cpipeline project\u201d by NFWF,\u0026nbsp; builds on multiple resilience plans and years of previous research conducted by the established team. \u201cThis is a testament to the value of the long-term collaborations and partnerships that enable coastal resilience work,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cWe\u2019re working closely with local communities and a range of city, state, and federal stakeholders to ensure these solutions align with local priorities and protect what matters most.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s not the first time that the team has brought this type of collaboration to the coastline. Since 2019, Kostka has worked alongside the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Aquarium, and Robinson Design Engineers in a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/maryville-marsh-restoration\u0022\u003E$2.6 million effort to restore degraded salt marshes in historic Charleston\u003C\/a\u003E, also funded by NFWF. Now in the implementation phase, much of the marsh restoration in Charleston involves planting salt-tolerant grasses, restoring oyster reefs, and excavating new tidal creeks \u2014 work that is being spearheaded by local volunteers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cCoastal resilience isn\u2019t something one group can tackle alone,\u201d Kostka adds. \u201cThat shared, community-driven vision is what makes these projects possible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support the design of nature-based solutions including\u0026nbsp;living shorelines and marsh restoration in flood-prone areas of Camden County, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award will support the design of nature-based solutions including\u00a0living shorelines and marsh restoration in flood-prone areas of Camden County, Georgia."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-01-12 13:20:04","changed_gmt":"2026-01-12 13:31:16","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678950":{"id":"678950","type":"image","title":"Degraded marsh on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDegraded marsh on Cumberland Island, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Degraded marsh on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263053","name":"Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5430100,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png?itok=rblZWU1k"}},"678953":{"id":"678953","type":"image","title":"Kostka sampling transects of marshland on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKostka sampling transects of marshland on Cumberland Island, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Kostka sampling transects of marshland on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263056","name":"Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5222904,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png?itok=xBr-zea0"}},"678951":{"id":"678951","type":"image","title":"Erosion around the historic property \u201cDungeness\u201d on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EErosion around the historic property \u201cDungeness\u201d on Cumberland Island, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Erosion around the historic property \u201cDungeness\u201d on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263054","name":"Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png","mime":"image\/png","size":6900758,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png?itok=uvmJsn8X"}},"678952":{"id":"678952","type":"image","title":"Flooding in the town of St. Marys, a town in Camden County, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFlooding in the town of St. Marys, a town in Camden County, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Flooding in the town of St. Marys, a town in Camden County, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263055","name":"Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4918395,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png?itok=Ug-RLMae"}}},"media_ids":["678950","678953","678951","678952"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/maryville-marsh-restoration","title":"Researchers and Alumni Aid in $2.6 Million Effort to Restore Salt Marshes in Historic Charleston"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}