Advancing Equity in Coastal and Marine Restoration (2025-2026)
Coastal and marine restoration is increasingly recognized as an important strategy for addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and coastal resilience. However, restoration projects often have significant social impacts on nearby communities, and questions remain about how equity is defined, implemented and evaluated in restoration planning and practice.
This project team examined how equity is conceptualized and operationalized in coastal and marine restoration. Drawing inspiration from emerging frameworks such as the Ocean Equity Index, the team explored differences between how equity is discussed in academic literature and how restoration practitioners understand and apply equity in their work.
Students conducted a systematic literature review of 44 academic publications using a Framework Comparison Tool developed by the team to assess how equity is defined and measured across restoration research. The team compared these findings with guidance from international policy documents, including the UN’s standards of practice for ecosystem restoration.
The team presented preliminary findings at the Society for Ecological Restoration North American Conference, where they hosted a discussion session with practitioners to gather perspectives on equity in restoration practice. Team members also conducted interviews with six restoration practitioners working on shoreline restoration projects across U.S. ecosystems, including rivers, mangroves, oyster reefs and shellfish habitats. Insights from the literature review, conference discussions and interviews informed case studies and key takeaways about the opportunities and challenges of implementing equity in restoration efforts.
The team synthesized these findings into a publicly accessible StoryMap designed to help restoration practitioners incorporate equity into project design, implementation and long-term management.
Timing
Fall 2025 – Spring 2026
Team Outputs
Poster presentation on equity in coastal and marine restoration (Society for Ecological Restoration North American Conference; Denver, Colorado; October 2025)
Advancing Equity in Coastal and Marine Restoration (Poster presentation at the Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase, April 15, 2026)
Educational StoryMap on equitable coastal and marine restoration practices
Literature review of coastal and marine restoration
Practitioner interview dataset on shoreline restoration equity perspectives
Manuscript in progress