Each month we feature one of the 97 IBAs (Important Bird Area) in North Carolina. This month we are showcasing the unique habitats of the Beacon Island IBA. This post is written by Audubon North Carolina’s Lindsay Addison.
One change that all islands face is erosion. Although erosion is a natural process, it can still be a threat to nesting birds because alternate sites may not exist due to a variety of causes, including coastal development or disturbance.
Beacon Island’s peaty shoreline has been diminishing over the years, decreasing the area available to pelicans and other nesting birds. So, through a grant from TogetherGreen, Audubon North Carolina and the North Carolina Coastal Federation teamed up to experiment with oyster shell revetments, designed to naturally slow the erosion of Beacon Island’s shoreline and rebuild the shores by jump-starting oysterbed formation.
Although they don't look like much, the bagged oysters in the foreground will help maintain Beacon Island for nesting pelicans, whose heads are just visible above the marsh grass.
More information about the TogetherGreen project is available here.
The first revetment was placed on Beacon Island in March, with more to come following the conclusion of the pelicans' nesting season. Local watermen bag the oystershells and place them on the island. Audubon staff will monitor the oyster shell and hope to see new oysters beginning to grow on the old shells next year.
