Ecosystem Function Metrics for Sill Living Shorelines and Reference Salt Marshes

A 2026 study by Mariko A. Polk compares 24 ecosystem functional metric proxies between sill living shorelines and unprotected fringing salt marsh shorelines. The data includes measurements for biomass, species density, wave climate, elevation, sediment characterization, and carbon and nitrogen sequestration. It is available as a 1.2 MB PDF file under a CC-BY-4.0 license.

Use Cases

• Compare ecosystem service provision between engineered and natural shorelines based on the 24 functional metrics.
• Analyze wave attenuation capabilities of living shorelines based on the reported 30% to 60% wave energy reduction.
• Model sediment deposition and elevation changes in coastal environments based on sediment characterization data.
• Assess carbon and nitrogen sequestration potential in different shoreline types based on sequestration metrics.

Strengths

• Compares 24 distinct ecosystem functional metric proxies, providing a multi-faceted evaluation.
• Reports that living shorelines matched or enhanced ecological functions in 16 of 24 metrics compared to reference sites.
• Includes specific quantitative findings, such as a 30% to 60% reduction in wave energy by sill living shorelines.

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The primary data format is a PDF (1.2 MB), which may require extraction or manual inspection to access structured data.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Mariko A. Polk.

Collection Method

Scientific study measuring ecosystem functions at shoreline sites.

Time Range

Study published in 2026; specific data collection period is not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 05:24:28.

Geography

Likely coastal areas where living shorelines and fringing salt marshes are found; specific locations are not stated.