U.S. Army Coastal Engineering Research Center's Ecology Program

The Coastal Engineering Research Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is responsible for research that supports the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program. This research involves coastal navigation, channel design and maintenance, storm flooding, shore erosion control, and coastal ecology. The ecology research is focused on two major areas: (1) use of coastal vegetation for engineering purposes and (2) effects of coastal engineering activities on the biological environment. The objectives and accomplishments of the ecology research are discussed and specific examples of field guidance are presented.