2015 ASBPA National Coastal Conference Abstract Submission
Abstract Title: COASTAL ENGINEERING WITH OYSTER REEFS. CASE STUDIES ON THE GULF COAST.
Primary author: Tyler Ortego, PE*
Contact Info: tyler@oraestuaries.com; 225-372-5570; 201 St. Charles Ave. 45th Floor New Orleans,
LA 70170
Institution: ORA Estuaries/Wayfarer Environmental Technologies
Bio: Tyler Ortego founded ORA Estuaries in 2009 with the mission to build and maintain the ecological
infrastructure that allows our estuaries to remain abundant and productive in conjunction with ever
increasing human presence. Mr. Ortego is a licensed professional civil engineer, and inventor of the
OysterBreak.
Abstract: Estuaries throughout the world are subject to severe challenges, including coastal wetland
loss, water quality impairments and fisheries collapse. Oysters, a common but often threatened
inhabitant of estuaries, have been described as “ecosystem engineers” for their ability to modify their
habitat. Oysters aren’t the only inhabitants of estuaries. The NOAA Ocean Service reports that in
1995, 22 of the 32 largest global cities were located in estuaries. As recently as 2011, almost half of
U.S. GDP was provided by coastal counties. Increasing human footprint on the coast is both impacting
the local environment and putting more people and property into vulnerable areas. One of the ways
that oysters affect their habitat is by protecting shorelines via the hydrodynamic interactions caused by
the reef. Via clever configuration of substrate, these reefs can be designed into living engineered
breakwaters. By using the reef building nature of the oyster to create breakwaters, structures can be
created with less material, lower foundation pressure and fewer construction impacts.
In this presentation, we look at oysters not just as “ecosystem engineers” but as “coastal engineers”.
Case studies in LA, AL and MS, will be used to demonstrate how engineering considerations affect design
and implementation of a project. Factors such as geotechnical engineering, wave climate analysis and
shoreline type will be discussed. As “living shorelines” techniques become more widely used,
government agencies are developing creative ways to competitively bid projects using performance
specifications. Some recent projects which incorporated coastal engineering design inputs into
performance specifications will be reviewed as well.