Video

Video by John Goddin

Tyndall AFB Oyster Reef Construction

Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center

Oct. 30, 2024 | 2:24

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery Division announced the start of oyster reef construction at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida on October 21, 2024. Supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s “Reefense” program (https://www.darpa.mil/program/reefense), this effort seeks to develop self-healing, hybrid biological and engineered reef-mimicking structures to mitigate the coastal flooding, erosion and storm damage that increasingly threaten civilian and DoD infrastructure and personnel. Coastal restoration projects like this are an integral part of designing and constructing the Installation of the Future. Oyster reefs can reduce the impact of storm waves and slow down erosion. Natural barriers like oyster reefs also provide a refuge for multiple species of fish, crab, and other marine life by removing pollutants and filtering sediment and algae. These innovative solutions are more environmentally friendly than typical shoreline protection projects, potentially resulting in a lower CO2 footprint and a faster return on investment for the surrounding ecosystem. The use of this nature-based restoration project is an integral part of rebuilding Tyndall AFB, which took a catastrophic hit from Category 5 Hurricane Michael in 2018 and will serve to start a decades long effort to protect over 40 miles of Tyndall AFB shoreline from the effects of climate change and sea level rise.