Florida municipalities are spearheading shoreline resiliency through nature-based solutions

Most of Florida's living shoreline restoration has happened on public lands by local governments. There are more than 33 such efforts known across the state. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States with about 8,500 miles of tidal shoreline.

While a waterfront view seems idyllic, the reality is, communities and their residents are dealing with the pressures of rising sea levels. Global warming has elevated Florida's water by about eight inches since 1950. And it’s expected to keep growing an inch every few years in some areas.

Public officials have been slowly adapting over the past decade or so by taking the lead on a nature-based way of stabilizing the coast called living shorelines. WUSF is kicking off NPR’s Climate Solutions Week with a look at some of these initiatives around the Tampa Bay region.