Scientists turn to Coconuts to Save the New Jersey Coastline

Posted Apr 30, 2023Updated Oct 17, 2026

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Learn about the little-known but highly effective method of marsh restoration using coir logs. Made from the fibrous outer husk of coconut shellsCoir logs will be used in other area projects in the coming months, including one scheduled for Earth Day, according to Quinn Whitesall, habitat restoration coordinator for the American Littoral Society, headquartered in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

Agriculture from years past damaged the Thompsons Beach marsh, when farmers built dykes and drained much of the area, Godshall said. But climate change threatens marshes even more, because it causes sea levels to rise, research shows.

Marsh grass can’t live through prolonged submergence in water because it absorbs oxygen from its roots, scientists say.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that the U.S. loses 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands, including salt marshes, each year, mostly due to development and sea-level rise.

“Climate change is the No. 1 killer of marshes, because plants drown,” said Capt. Al Modjeski, Habitat Restoration program director for the American Littoral Society. He’s also a licensed operator of small boats.

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Scientists turn to Coconuts to Save the New Jersey Coastline

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