S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs fund Living Shoreline Program “Bio-Rock Experimentation” in the Broad River
July 28, 2025
Multi-agency collaboration for living shoreline coastline protection program through ongoing SMART REEF / Living Shoreline development and oyster restoration program.
Coastal Carolina University (CCU), and the environmental non-profit Global Eco Adventures (GEA), Next Marine Solutions (NxMar), The Town of Port Royal, the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs (SCDVA), the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) have joined together in the deployment of a “Bio-Rock experimental floating platform” in the Beaufort-area Broad River, a tidal waterway that flows into Port Royal Sound, S.C. between Parris Island and Hilton Head.
Part of the SCDVA’s MILITARY ENHANCEMENT GRANT PROGRAM – awarded to the Town of Port Royal to provide protection within the Port Royal Sound’s physical- environmental infrastructure, the multi-year project will, among other environmental benefits, protect infrastructure from storm surges and erosion; restore marine habitats and improve water quality. The project will also enhance sediment accretion to stabilize shorelines, and support sustainable fishing through improved reef systems.
The project includes integrating a nearshore “Smart Reef”/Living Shoreline system to maximize erosion control and ecological benefits.
“This project – essentially a supporting component of the ongoing Smart Reef/Living Shoreline installation piece of the South Carolina 7 (SC7) Expedition is yet another means by which we develop tangible solutions in the protection of our environmental infrastructure,” said Dr. Tom Mullikin, SCDNR director and SC7 Expedition leader. “It’s critical to our shoreline protection.”
Mullikin adds: “The Smart Reef technology [which the bio-rock project supports] includes a design-configuration placement of a large cache of concrete transportation barriers being provided by Parris Island targeted to mitigate the extreme erosion along the southwest border of Parris Island where extensive sections of salt marsh have been stripped away.”
SC7, a collaborative initiative between Global Eco Adventures and the S.C. National Heritage Corridor which this year partnered with SCDNR, is a monthlong statewide expedition from the mountains in the Upstate of S.C., through the Midlands, to the Lowcountry and the sea.
SC7 officials say the expedition encourages people to explore South Carolina’s natural landscapes—from rivers and trails to mountains and coasts—fostering a culture of stewardship through direct outdoor experience. It also educates the broader public as to the necessary benefit of the Smart Reef system installation which SC7 has led the charge through conception through development with active work and agency partnerships since the expedition’s inception six years ago.
CCU and GEA have been working with NxMar, a Maine-based technology company, towards a scaled test of the bio-rock, project (platform) off Parris Island. The experimental bio-rock platform [pictured] was deployed from Safe Harbor Marina on July 18, 2025 and is scheduled to collect data and be in place for approximately 4 weeks.
– For additional information, please contact Dr. Paul Gayes, Coastal Carolina University, at (843)-995-1442 ([email protected]) or Cam Mullikin, GEA, at (803) 427-2000 ([email protected])
– For more information about SC7, please visit https://www.southcarolina7.com/.
