The SHORE-BET: Marsh Restoration Community Benefit Calculator calculates the economic value of select key coastal community benefits to be gained by using living shoreline techniques that restore marshes. This tool helps to account for these ecosystem services so that coastal communities can be better informed when making decisions impacting their environment, economy, and overall quality of life. The geographic focus of the tool is the counties along the Chesapeake Bay within the Middle Peninsula, Virginia (Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex); however, the approaches behind the tool can be transferred to other regions.


DISCLAIMER
The use of SHORE-BET is intended to support preliminary planning, reporting, and restoration prioritization; however, its use does not guarantee the approval of any authorization or shoreline project. We acknowledge that the calculations represented herein do not reflect the full suite of services and benefits provided by a marsh or living shoreline. This project has been funded wholly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office & the Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Research Program.
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Step 1: Locate Project on the Map

Step 2: Provide Project Details

More Info Icon Diagram of living shoreline

Marsh Width Description
Virginia living shoreline policies specify the total width (low and high marsh) of a created or existing marsh should be more than 8 feet wide.


 COMMUNITY BENEFITS of MARSH RESTORATION  
PER YEAR 30-YEAR
wave icon Reduced Storm Impacts Marsh dampening waves Marsh vegetation and wetland areas absorb flood water and dampen wave energy, reducing nearby flooding and damage caused by waves to areas behind the marsh.

Marshes also trap sediment which helps slow shoreline erosion.

Photo: Marsh vegetation decreases wave height and power during storms. Credit: C. Currin
Icon credit: Wave icon created by Ayub Irawan - Flaticon 		Reduced Storm Impacts $0 $0 Reduced Storm Impacts Calculation Reduced storm & flooding risk annual value: Mean economic value from the literature ($4550.58/acres/yr) adjusted for marsh wave attenuation capacity and storm exposure.
Fish icon Improved Fish Habitat Juvenile fish near a marsh Marshes provide essential habitat for many fish and invertebrates (like crabs and shrimp), and especially for juvenile (young) and small-bodied fish and crustaceans.

Marsh vegetation also provides cover from predators, and marshes that are connected along the shoreline can act as safe habitat corridors for these creatures.

Photo: Juvenile striped bass caught at a living shoreline and juvenile fish in the shallows. Credit: CCRM
Icon credit: Fish icon created by Freepik - Flaticon 		Improved Fish Habitat $0 $0 Fish Habitat Calculation Fish habitat annual value: Mean economic value from the literature ($679.80/acres/yr) adjusted for restored low marsh size and configuration.
marsh icon Nutrient Removal/Storage Marsh Image Marsh plants absorb nitrogen and phosphorus from each high tide as well as nutrients that flow off of the land from lawns, farm fields, and urban areas.

Excess nutrients in the Bay stimulate nuisance algal blooms that decrease water quality and can be harmful to human and pet health.

Photo: Spartina alterniflora and rock sills in a living shoreline project. Credit: CCRM 		Nutrients Removed/Stored $0 $0 Nutrient Removal/Storage Calculation Nutrient removal/storage annual value: Mean economic value from the literature ($1645.18/acres/yr) adjusted for the area of restored marsh.
marsh icon Carbon Removal/Storage Image of a living shoreline project Marshes can store large quantities of carbon. Marsh vegetation captures carbon dioxide as it grows. As vegetation dies it is buried in the marsh soil, where it remains for a long time due to the slow breakdown of vegetation in wet marsh soil.

Photo: Spartina alterniflora and rock sills in a living shoreline project. Credit: CCRM 		Carbon Removed/Stored $0 $0 Carbon Removal/Storage Calculation Carbon removal/storage annual value: Mean economic value from the literature ($772.34/acres/yr) adjusted for the area of restored marsh
Fisherperson icon Improved Recreational Fishing
Image of a living shoreline project Marshy areas provide recreational opportunities including birding, kayaking, and fishing, as well as providing aesthetic, cultural, and spiritual value.

Photo: Woman fishing from her boat in the Mobjack Bay, Virginia. Credit: Susanna Musick, VIMS
Icon credit: Fish icon created by Freepik - Flaticon 		Improved Recreational Fishing $0 $0 Recreational Fishing Benefit Calculation Improved recreation annual value: Mean economic value ($439.38/acres/yr) from recreational fishers’ survey adjusted for restored marsh area and distance to public access.
Total 30-Year Community Benefit Value
This Project $0 Projected 30-year benefit values The 30-year value is determined by multiplying the annual value by 30 years and by a discount rate weight factor (22.39646 is the 30-year weight factor with a 2% discount rate, source: Circular No. A-4, The White House, Nov 2023). The discount rate adjusts future values to today's dollars.
Existing Middle Peninsula Living Shoreline Projects $4-6 Million This range is based on 185 existing and verified installed living shoreline projects that involved planting and/or restoring marsh vegetation between 1974-2020.

Data source: CCRM Tidal Shoreline Permit Database (CCRM, 2023).
 PROJECT DETAILS 

Length of Shoreline Protected
Marsh Area Protected/Restored
Pollution Reduction
 LOCATION DETAILS 

Recreational
Access
Storm
Exposure
Fish Habitat Provided
Social
Vulnerability
Area Population
Density
Virginia Institute of Marine Science      All Rights Reserved © 2024
Virginia Institute of Marine Science      All Rights Reserved © 2024
   Map Help: Locate the Project on the Map
1. Zoom into the project location on the map Use the zoom buttons, your mouse, or click on the Search for a Location button at the bottom of the map to type in an address or place of interest.
2. Add project center point to map ON THE SHORELINE LINE (orange line in map)
  1. Click the Add map point button button at the top of the map.
  2. Add the point on top of the shoreline line (orange line in map) closest to the project center location.
  3. If you want to change the location of the point, first clear the old point by using the Clear point , and then add a new point.
Note: Please add the center point on top of the shoreline line closest to the project center location. Only one point is allowed at a time.
Other Map Buttons
  • Measure Distance Tool: Follow directions on the map to measure distances.
  • View Legend: Click this button to view the legend for layers that are on the map.
  • Map Layers: Click this button to add additional informational layers to the map, including parcel boundaries and the locations of existing living shoreline projects.
  Have more questions?

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SHORE-BET: Coastal Community Benefit Tool

Find additional resources here:

Learn about Living Shorelines
Publications related to this project: Peer-reviewed scientific articles:
  • Scheld, Andrew M.; Bilkovic, Donna M.; Stafford, Sarah; Powers, Kathleen; Musick, Susanna; Guthrie, Amanda G., Valuing shoreline habitats for recreational fishing (2024). Ocean & Coastal Management, 253 (107150)
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107150
Press arcticles:
SHORE-BET Coastal Community Benefit Tool    https://cmap22.vims.edu/ShoreBet/index.html
   Detailed Calculation Description

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   Project Summary

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SHORE-BET: Coastal Community Benefit Tool

Living Shoreline Project Summary

Project Dimensions

Length: Linear Feet
High Marsh Width: feet
Low Marsh Width: feet
Marsh Area Protected:

Location Details

Public Access:
Storm Exposure:

Social Vulnerability:
Population Density:




Project Location Map
Map Legend

Calculated Community Benefits


PER YEAR 30-YEAR
wave icon Reduced Storm Impacts
Fish icon Improved Fish Habitat
marsh icon Nutrients Removed/Stored
marsh icon Carbon Removed/Stored
Fisherperson icon Improved Recreation
Total 30-Year Community Benefit Value
The 30-year value for each benefit is determined by multiplying the annual value by a discount factor that adjusts future values to today's dollars. The weight factor applied was 22.39646, which is the 30-year weight factor with a 2% discount rate, source: Circular No. A-4, The White House, Nov 2023).


Description of Benefits

Reduced Storm Impacts: Marsh vegetation and wetland areas absorb flood water and dampen wave energy, reducing nearby flooding and damage due to waves. Marshes also trap sediment which helps slow shoreline erosion.
Improved Fish Habitat: Marshes provide essential habitat for many fish and invertebrates (like crabs and shrimp), and especially for juvenile (young) and small-bodied fish and crustaceans. Marsh vegetation also provides cover from predators, and marshes that are connected along the shoreline can act as safe habitat corridors for these creatures.
Nutrient Removal/Storage: Marsh plants absorb nitrogen and phosphorus from each high tide as well as nutrients that flow off of the land from lawns, farm fields, and urban areas. Excess nutrients in the Bay stimulate nuisance algal blooms that decrease water quality and can be harmful to human and pet health.
Carbon Storage/Removal:Marshes can store large quantities of carbon. Marsh vegetation captures carbon dioxide as it grows. As vegetation dies it is buried in the marsh soil, where it remains for a long time due to the slow breakdown of vegetation in wet marsh soil.
Improved Recreation: Marshy areas provide recreational opportunities including birding, kayaking, and fishing, as well as providing aesthetic, cultural, and spiritual value.
  About this Project

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SHORE-BET: Coastal Community Benefit Tool

 SHORE-BET Coastal Community Benefit Tool
https://cmap22.vims.edu/ShoreBet/index.html