Ports and marinas in the Great Lakes Basin are cultural and economic engines. They can drive ecological health, too. Our work in the region addresses degradation of public landscapes in critical nearshore habitats across the region. Local approaches can not only have regional benefits in the Basin, but they signal a new way of thinking about landscape design on coastlines. Experimental pilot projects test concepts, uncover new processes, and demonstrate new approaches to funding, regulation, policy, and multi-agency collaboration. We hope they inspire communities beyond the Great Lakes region to rethink design, policy, dredging practices, and the interconnectedness of dynamic human and ecological systems in the face of new challenges including the current and anticipated effects of climate change.
