![]() ![]() These projects address damage to natural resources and wildlife from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but the restored barrier islands also provide added coastal resilience and protect important estuary habitats. Thousands of acres of barrier islands and marshland have been restored or enhanced as part of Gulf Spill Restoration projects. NOAA supports natural and nature-based infrastructure projects that restore and protect barrier islands and the benefits they provide to coastal communities and ecosystems. The effects of climate change, including rapid sea level rise and extreme weather events, can cause or worsen barrier island erosion. Several of the largest islands along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina are composite barriers, meaning that they were built around and upon a core of ancient dune and beach deposits formed when sea level was higher. Damming and dredging projects can significantly affect the amount of sand and sediment available to fortify barrier islands. Barrier islands first form as offshore sandbars wave action and currents transport sand that builds up into large deposits. Oceans fall and rise on a natural cycle roughly every 20,000 years the. ![]() Erosion can be caused by human activities such as ship traffic, hard levees, and infrastructure projects, even those far upriver. The movement of the seas created the Georgia shoreits barrier islands and its marshes that disappear into the horizon. Unfortunately, barrier islands are disappearing at an alarming rate. This generally means smaller storm surge and less flooding on the coast. Beach dunes and grasses on barrier islands absorb wave energy before the wave hits the mainland. These islands are critical to protecting coastal communities and ecosystems from extreme weather. The rocky cliffs and shifting tectonic plates off the West Coast, along with other features of the terrain and tides, prevent barrier islands from forming there. Barrier island chains tend to form near river deltas and in areas with low tectonic activity and relatively flat coastal terrain. Gulf and East coasts, such as the Outer Banks off North Carolina. Many barrier islands are found off the U.S. These areas are important habitat for seabirds, fish and shellfish, and nesting sea turtles. Beaches and sand dune systems form on the side of the island facing the ocean the side facing the shore often contains marshes, tidal flats, and maritime forests. They are generally separated from the mainland by tidal creeks, bays, and lagoons. As wind and waves shift according to weather patterns and local geographic features, these islands constantly move, erode, and grow. ![]() Please CLICK HERE to read the full press release and get more information.Barrier islands form as waves repeatedly deposit sediment parallel to the shoreline. Other noteworthy attributes include one of the largest spring gatherings of Whimbrel in North America, and impressive numbers of wintering shorebirds of many species. The area also holds more than 10% of the bio-geographic populations of American Oystercatcher, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Black-bellied Plover. Despite having poorer soil than other eastern coastal regions, Georgias barrier islands are home to hundreds of plant species. Based on a band re-sighting study, the stopover population of rufa Red Knot on southward migration has been estimated at 23,400 birds, while up to 13,775 birds have been documented using the area during northbound migration. 'Nestled in the isolation of a barrier island rich with Gullah-Geechee culture and heritage and surrounded by centuries old moss draped live oaks, panoramic beaches, estuaries and marshes, the Reynolds Mansion on Sapelo Island is a 200-year-old estate developed during the heyday of the tycoon era on Georgia’s coast.' This small barrier island. The Georgia Barrier Islands WHSRN Landscape was designated due to its supporting more than 30% of the bio-geographic population of rufa Red Knot and the Great Lakes breeding population of Piping Plover. This is great news for the Georgia Coast and Ogeechee Audubon was pleased to help get the word out about this designation. Georgia’s Barrier Islands have been designated as a Landscape of Hemispheric Importance by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN)! Georgia’s Barrier Islands become the WHSRN’s 100th site! ![]()
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