In May 2023, a team of scientists built two oyster reefs in Georgia’s Savannah River. They used bags of oyster shells covered in baby oysters, only one to two meters from the edge of the marsh. These reefs reduced wave energy hitting the shoreline by as much as 40 percent compared to nearby areas without a reef, according to a study published in the journal Ecological Engineering by researcher Mariah Kachmar and her colleagues.
