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In Staten Island, New York bets on artificial reefs of stone, eco-friendly concrete, and oysters in the $111 million Living Breakwaters project to reduce waves, contain erosion, and create marine habitat, transforming post-Sandy coastal defense into a living barrier with green infrastructure, environmental education, and local community resilience.
The artificial reefs that New York completed in 2024 in Staten Island were born as a response to the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, using stones, eco-friendly concrete, and oysters to form a partially submerged barrier against waves and erosion. The Living Breakwaters project attempts to transform coastal defense into living infrastructure.
The project, valued at $111 million, was created after the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy and seeks to reduce the impact of waves, contain beach erosion, and increase the physical, ecological, and social resilience of the coastal community of Tottenville.
New York bets on a living barrier instead of a common wall
The Living Breakwaters was conceived as a nature-based coastal infrastructure. Instead of just erecting a rigid wall against the sea, the project creates a series of breakwaters near the coast, capable of dissipating part of the wave energy before it reaches the beach.
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These structures total about 2,400 linear feet, equivalent to approximately 731 meters, and are made with stones and eco-friendly concrete units. The proposal is to protect the coast without completely erasing the relationship between city, beach, and marine ecosystem.
The solution was developed by a multidisciplinary team led by the SCAPE office, within the Rebuild By Design competition, launched by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development after Sandy.
The result is a coastal defense that does not just try to block the water. It also creates habitat for oysters, fish, and other marine species, transforming storm protection into a kind of living infrastructure.
Artificial reefs reduce waves and attempt to halt decades of erosion
The artificial reefs were designed to break waves before they reach the Tottenville shoreline. This region of Staten Island suffered some of the most destructive waves in the area during Superstorm Sandy, with severe damage and loss of life.
Hydrodynamic modeling helped define the shape and positioning of the structures. The idea is to reduce the impact of intensified weather events while simultaneously slowing beach erosion along Conference House Park.
The project also attempts to address a problem accumulated over decades. Coastal erosion does not only occur during hurricanes; it advances slowly, removing sand, weakening the shoreline, and leaving communities more exposed to future storms.
Therefore, the breakwaters were designed to act in layers. First, they reduce the force of the waves. Then, they help create conditions to restore part of the natural dynamics of the beach and coastal ecosystem.
Stones, eco-friendly concrete and oysters create marine habitat
The most important difference of the Living Breakwaters lies in the ecological design. The structures include “reef ridges” and “reef streets,” formations that mimic reliefs and corridors capable of providing shelter for different species.
These spaces were designed to accommodate oysters, fish, and other marine organisms. The installation of live oysters is planned after the completion of the main structures, reinforcing the ecological ambition of the project.
The oysters are not just an environmental symbol. They can help form living reefs, filter water, and enhance local biodiversity, although the primary physical protection function comes from the stone and concrete breakwaters.
By combining heavy engineering and coastal ecology, artificial reefs are no longer just obstacles against waves. They become platforms for marine life and tools for climate adaptation.
Project was born from the response to Sandy
Superstorm Sandy profoundly marked New York’s relationship with coastal risk. The storm exposed the vulnerability of low-lying neighborhoods, especially areas close to the sea and more susceptible to the force of the waves.
Tottenville, in southern Staten Island, was one of the most affected communities. The Living Breakwaters was born precisely to face this type of risk, without merely repeating the traditional logic of walls, rigid barriers, and complete separation from the water.
The choice for green infrastructure shows a change in mindset. Instead of treating the ocean as an absolute enemy, the project tries to rebuild a coastal edge more prepared to absorb impacts.
This strategy does not eliminate all risks of hurricanes or storms. But it seeks to reduce damage, buy time, protect the beach, and create a defense more adapted to the reality of a changing climate.
Coastal defense also includes education and community
The Living Breakwaters is not limited to engineering. The project also includes a social resilience front in Tottenville, with educational actions for local schools and resident participation.
In partnership with the Billion Oyster Project, programs related to the marine environment, coastal protection, and the role of oysters were developed. The initiative also involved the Citizens’ Advisory Committee, a coalition of local stakeholders.
The idea is for the community to understand the structure, monitor its function, and participate in the relationship with the coast. This is important because climate adaptation works depend not only on concrete and stone but also on public trust.
As a result of this process, SCAPE and the Billion Oyster Project developed an open curriculum about the Living Breakwaters, expanding the educational reach of the initiative.
Green infrastructure gains international recognition
The project received awards and recognitions in planning, engineering, environmental design, and climate adaptation. Among them are the 2023 OBEL Award and the Diamond Award in water resources from ACEC New York in 2025.
It was also the winner of the Rebuild By Design competition in 2014, in addition to receiving recognitions related to environmental planning and innovation. This helped transform the artificial reefs of Staten Island into an international reference for nature-based coastal infrastructure.
The importance of the project lies precisely in showing that climate adaptation can go beyond conventional works. In many coastlines, protecting the coast requires combining engineering, ecology, urbanism, and social participation.
In this case, New York is not just building a barrier. It is testing a more complex response to a problem that is expected to grow in several coastal cities around the world.
Artificial reefs show a new path against storms
The artificial reefs of Staten Island represent an attempt to prepare New York for extreme events without turning the entire coast into a hard line of concrete. The solution works with stone, eco-friendly concrete, submerged relief, oysters, and environmental education.
The project does not promise to prevent all damage from future storms, but it seeks to reduce waves, protect the beach, create habitat, and strengthen the community. It is a coastal defense that also tries to function as an ecosystem.
In a world with cities increasingly exposed to hurricanes, erosion, and rising sea levels, the Living Breakwaters show an alternative: using the very logic of reefs to protect vulnerable urban areas.
And you, do you think coastal cities should invest more in living artificial reefs like New York, or do traditional walls and barriers still seem like safer solutions against storms? Share your opinion.
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