Oyster shells and community connections to address climate risks in Hogg Hummock, Georgia
Project Overview
Sea level rise and other coastal hazards are an increasing problem along the Georgia coast. Water levels have already risen by over a foot in the last 100 years, and they are projected to continue rising, exacerbating issues like “sunny-day” flooding and further exposing communities and ecosystems to damage from severe weather.
This project aims to restore oyster reefs and salt marshes around the Gullah Geechee community of Hogg Hummock on Sapelo Island, GA. This habitat restoration will provide resilience and multiple benefits in the face of probable future climate-related changes.
An improved mechanistic understanding of spatially complex asymmetrical tidal flows over intertidal salt marshes will be incorporated into this understanding of habitat restoration design, and engagement with community stakeholders in habitat restoration design to garner community support and improve the multiple benefits to the community.

Meet the Team
This project is a collaboration between the UGA Research Foundation, the Athens-based nonprofit Shell to Shore, and the Hogg Hummock-based nonprofit Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO). The work is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through a Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience award, offering nearly $500 million nationwide for restoration projects across a broad range of habitats. Learn more here.
With this funding, Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO) will lead the way with their in-depth local knowledge of the space, while UGA’s researchers will provide engineering and natural infrastructure know-how. Shell to Shore, an organization that recycles oyster shells from restaurants throughout Georgia, will help create living shorelines that carry benefits like erosion mitigation, flood risk reduction and storm surge protection.




C. Brock Woodson, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Engineering and Natural Sciences, IRIS | Professor, College of Engineering
bwoodson@uga.edu

Nik Heynen, Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor, UGA Department of Geography | Internship Program Coordinator & Board Member, Shell to Shore
nheynen@uga.edu

Hunt Revell
President, Co-Founder & Board Member, Shell to Shore
huntrev@gmail.com

Maurice Bailey
President and Chief Executive Officer, Save Our Legacy Ourself
maurice@saveourlegacyourself.org

Amy Rosemond, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Education, Equity and Inclusion, IRIS | Professor, Odum School of Ecology
rosemond@uga.edu

Lizzie King, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Odum School of Ecology
egking@uga.edu

Daniel Coleman, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Scientist, IRIS
daniel.coleman@uga.edu

Malcolm Provost
Shell Recycling Coordinator and Board Member, Shell to Shore
malcolm.provost@gmail.com
Where we are working now

project site
This project will be conducted in and around Big Hole Marsh on Sapelo Island in the vicinity of the Hogg Hummock Community. The project will use modeling combined with community engaged design to develop a restoration plan for the marsh and then implement the plan using recycled oyster shell.
More potential action items:
- Thin layer placement, bolstering marshes with added sediment
- Installation of tide gates to control flooding
- Removal of dikes, reconnecting marsh fragments
the goal
This project aims to restore oyster reefs to Big Hole Marsh and enhance flood protection through habitat restoration using natural and nature-based features (NNBF) via design of the marsh-tidal-creek network and strategic placement of oyster reefs.
The team has proposed three different project phases:
- A Comprehensive Habitat Restoration Plan (CHRP), which will combine a stakeholder assessment and a study to ensure that flood protection and other benefits will be improved through oyster reef restoration.
- Implement the CHRP by constructing and restoring oyster reefs in the marsh next to Hog Hummock.
- Monitor the reef and marsh to see how flood reductions and other benefits perform over time.
The project will also employ community members both during the project and after for long-term monitoring of the marsh’s health and performance.
