HomeOcean Facts

# What is shoreline armoring?

## "Armoring" is the practice of using **physical structures** to protect shorelines from **coastal erosion**.

Shoreline armoring along Wells Beach, Maine. Coastal managers and property owners often attempt to stabilize coastal land and protect residential and commercial infrastructure along the coast by building shoreline armoring structures to hold back the sea and prevent the loss of sediment. 

Coastal erosion—the loss of shoreline sediment - is a complex process that continuously reshapes the shoreline and can threaten coastal property. With approximately 350,000 structures located within 500 feet of the nation’s shoreline, erosion is a problem many U.S. coastal communities must address. 

Coastal managers and property owners often attempt to stabilize coastal land and protect residential and commercial infrastructure along the coast by building shoreline armoring structures to hold back the sea and prevent the loss of sediment. Examples of such structures are seawalls, breakwaters, and riprap. 

Shoreline armoring has both beneficial and detrimental  effects. Armored shorelines can prevent sandy beaches, wetlands, and other  intertidal areas from moving inland as the land erodes or sea levels rise, but  they also have the potential to eliminate habitat for marine organisms and  beach front for the public by restricting the natural movement of sediments.  The key to shoreline  stabilization, if it is required, is to use a site-specific stabilization  method that balances the needs of the public and the needs of the natural  system.

While coastal erosion is a natural process, the rate of  erosion can be greatly influenced by human activities. Natural factors that  contribute to erosion include sediment supply; geologic characteristics;  changes in sea level; and the effects of waves, currents, tides, and wind—all  of which vary by location. Human activities that can alter natural shoreline  processes include beach nourishment (adding sand), dredging of ports and  coastal approaches, construction of harbors and sediment-trapping dams, and the  use of shoreline armor.

###### **Search** Our Facts

###### Get **Social**

###### More **Information**

          - Natural Infrastructure Fast Facts
          - Case Studies of Natural Shoreline Infrastructure in Coastal California (NOAA Sentinel Site Program)
          - Living Shorelines (audio podcast)
          - Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps

**Last updated:**   01/20/23**Author:** NOAAHow to cite this article

Contact Us

            - Provide Feedback 
            -  Contact Us 
            -  Report an error 

##### Science. Service.Stewardship.

###### 						About NOS 					

            - About Us
            - NOS Program Offices
            - Media Inquiries
            - Website Acknowledgements

###### 						Resources 					

            - Site Index
            - Disclaimer
            - Freedom of Information Act
            - Accessibility

###### 						More Resources 					

            - Information Quality
            - Privacy Policy
            - NOS For Employees
            - USA.gov

          -  National Ocean Service
          -  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
          -  Department of Commerce

##### 						Social 					

            - 
            - 
            - 
            - 
            -