Methods of shoreline rehabilitation and carbon sequestration

Abstract

A method of shoreline rehabilitation and carbon sequestration includes forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs wherein each apparatus includes a plurality of individual mesh bags and coupling each individual mesh bag to an adjacent mesh bag and filling each individual mesh bag with cultch material; installing at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements, wherein each segment is formed of contiguous line of the plurality of apparatus, wherein at least one apparatus includes acute angled wave breaking apexes positioned to face wave energy configured for reducing locally generated wave energy impinging on relatively sheltered shorelines; and adding submerged aquatic vegetation in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of shoreline rehabilitation and carbon sequestration comprising the steps of:
 forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs wherein each apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes a plurality of individual mesh bags and including the step of coupling each individual mesh bag to an adjacent mesh bag and filling each individual mesh bag with cultch material;   installing at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements, wherein each segment is formed of contiguous line of the plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs, wherein at least one apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes acute angled wave breaking apexes positioned to face wave energy configured for reducing locally generated wave energy impinging on relatively sheltered shorelines; and   adding submerged aquatic vegetation in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  further including the step of adding a fish grow out facility in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  further including the step of adding a fish grow out facility in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes the step of forming a frame of rod members and including an inner frame and a radial outwardly spaced outer frame each having end frame portions as upper and lower ends of at least one of the apparatuses, wherein the end frame portions of the inner frame and the outer frame include a plurality of trapezoidal members, each trapezoidal member being formed by a single rod member which is overlapped and double welded. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the step of forming the frame of rod members includes wherein the trapezoidal members are double welded to two adjacent trapezoidal members. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the step of coupling each individual mesh bag to an adjacent mesh bag includes overlapping the two mesh bags and coupling with two spaced seams. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the step of forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes prefabricating the end frame portions of the inner frame and the outer frame and shipping the frame components for on-site assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein a bottom of the frame is not contacting the mesh bags forming an open bottom of the framework. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the step of installing at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements includes a plurality of configurations of three triangular elements, wherein each triangular element within each configuration has one corner attached to a corner of another triangular element and a second corner attached to a corner of the remaining triangular element. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein at least two segments are installed and wherein each segment is placed 50 to 100 feet from the original shoreline, and wherein each segment is laterally spaced from an adjacent segment by a distance of 15 ft to 30 ft. 
     
     
         11 . A method of shoreline rehabilitation comprising the steps of:
 forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs by forming a frame of rod members and including an inner frame and a radial outwardly spaced outer frame each having end frame portions as upper and lower ends of at least one of the apparatuses, wherein the end frame portions of the inner frame and the outer frame include a plurality of trapezoidal members, and wherein each apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes a plurality of individual mesh bags and including the step of overlapping and coupling each individual mesh bag to an adjacent mesh bag and filling each individual mesh bag with cultch material;   installing at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements, wherein each segment is formed of contiguous line of the plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs, wherein at least one apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes acute angled wave breaking apexes positioned to face wave energy configured for reducing locally generated wave energy impinging on relatively sheltered shorelines; and   adding submerged aquatic vegetation in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11  further including the step of adding a fish grow out facility in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11  further including the step of adding a fish grow out facility in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the step of forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes wherein each trapezoidal member is formed by a single rod member which is overlapped and double welded. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the step of forming the frame of rod members includes wherein the trapezoidal members are double welded to two adjacent trapezoidal members. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the step of coupling each individual mesh bag to an adjacent mesh bag includes coupling with two spaced seams. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the step of forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs includes prefabricating the end frame portions of the inner frame and the outer frame and shipping the frame components for on-site assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein a bottom of the frame is not contacting the mesh bags forming an open bottom of the framework. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the step of installing at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements includes a plurality of configurations of three triangular elements, wherein each triangular element within each configuration has one corner attached to a corner of another triangular element and a second corner attached to a corner of the remaining triangular element. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein at least two segments are installed and wherein each segment is placed 50 to 100 feet from the original shoreline, and wherein each segment is laterally spaced from an adjacent segment by a distance of 15 ft to 30 ft., and wherein each segment is laterally spaced from an adjacent segment by a distance no greater than ½ of the length of either adjacent segment, and wherein each segment extends at least 60 ft laterally along the shoreline.