Neptune – The humble coconut husk, or coir, has been found to be a highly effective and sustainable material for use in shoreline protection projects around the world.

This lowly material is now viewed as a cost-efficient, widely accessible, and eco-friendly alternative that is being increasingly utilized in coastal communities.

Coir is often used in conjunction with other shoreline protection measures, such as natural elements and rigid barriers made of wood, steel, or concrete. In fact, coir is a crucial component of so-called "living shorelines" that utilize natural elements rather than artificial barriers.

Strands of coconut husk, also known as coir, are being used in shoreline protection projects all over the world, from the sands of the Jersey Shore to the Indonesian islands.

The use of coir in shoreline protection projects is gaining popularity worldwide, including in both developed and developing nations.

In the United States, for example, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is providing funding to assist in the installation of living shorelines made of materials that can include coconut fibers. Similarly, Cape Cod completed a similar project last year.

In Neptune, New Jersey, on the Shark River, about a mile from the ocean, one such project is currently being installed along a section of the eroded river bank.

A $3 million project in a region that was devastated by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 has already made a significant improvement to what was previously a severely eroded shoreline.

Tim Dillingham, the organization's executive director, said, "We're always trying to reduce wave energy while shielding the shoreline, and whenever we can, we like to employ nature-based solutions.

The fibrous coconut shell fibres used to make coir are spun into mats or logs and frequently secured with netting.

Due to its flexibility, it can be bent and contoured to fit uneven shorelines while being secured by wooden stakes.

However, before it does, it is occasionally pre-seeded with grasses and plants native to the shoreline, or the plants are planted in holes that can be drilled into the coir logs.

Materials made from coconuts are used in erosion control projects all over the world.

One of them is in Boston, where Julia Hopkins, an assistant professor at Northeastern University, is making floating mats out of materials like wood chips, coconut fibres, and other things to lessen the impact of waves and promote the growth of aquatic vegetation.

Four of these mats are part of a pilot project in waterways near Boston.

Coconut fibre is an organic byproduct that is also inexpensive and a waste, according to her. "In actuality, something that was going to be thrown away is being recycled.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is providing funding to assist landowners, homeowner associations, and others in installing living shorelines made of materials that can include coconut fibres. Cape Cod, Massachusetts, completed a similar project last year.

Coir remains a promising and eco-friendly option that is helping to protect shorelines and promote sustainable practices in coastal communities around the world.