Building Stronger Shores: An Overview of Coastal Resiliency Initiatives

Our Coastal Resiliency Solutions for Long Island Properties

Pearce Marine Construction specializes in coastal resiliency projects—expertly engineered initiatives designed to protect your shoreline property from flooding, erosion, and storm damage. Our services include structural solutions like seawalls, nature-based approaches like living shorelines, and hybrid systems combining both methods to secure your waterfront investment.

Quick Overview of Coastal Resiliency Projects:

Long Island's coastline faces mounting threats from sea level rise, powerful storms, and coastal flooding. These issues are actively reshaping Nassau and Suffolk County shorelines, causing accelerated erosion that threatens waterfront homes and infrastructure in communities from Southampton to West Islip.

After storms like Hurricane Sandy caused devastating losses, it's clear that protecting your waterfront investment demands expert construction solutions. Coastal resilience means your property can withstand these hazards and recover quickly. It's achieved through carefully engineered marine construction, from deep foundation piling to properly built bulkheads. The right construction approach, guided by expert marine contractors who understand Long Island's unique coastal conditions, makes the difference between catastrophic loss and long-term protection for your investment.

Coastal Resiliency Techniques for Nassau and Suffolk County

Identifying Coastal Hazards in Nassau and Suffolk County

Waterfront properties across Long Island—from Massapequa and Babylon to Huntington and Southampton—face a mix of hazards:

• Coastal flooding and storm surge from hurricanes and nor’easters
• Erosion from wave action and boat wakes in canals and bays
• Overtopping and undermining of aging timber bulkheads
• Scour at the base of structures where sediment is washed away
• Upland drainage issues that accelerate bank failure
• Loss of support for decks and docks as piles settle or corrode

Understanding these forces is the first step in creating a custom protection plan with our expert team.

Our Strategies for Shoreline Protection

Every project aims to reduce risk from storms, protect high-value assets like homes and docks, and deliver durable, low-maintenance protection. We achieve this by selecting from three strategies: structural solutions (seawalls, bulkheads), nature-based approaches (living shorelines), and hybrid systems that combine both, detailed in our erosion control and flood mitigation services.

Structural Solutions for Coastal Resiliency Projects

Structural protection is the backbone of many Long Island shorelines, especially in high-energy areas.

• Seawalls and bulkheads: We install sheet pile walls (vinyl, composite, steel) with robust tie-back systems. Critical details include proper embedment depth, toe scour protection, and effective drainage to prevent pressure buildup. Learn more about our Seawalls and Bulkheads.
• Rock revetments and armor layers: Ideal for dissipating energy on open-bay sites. Our rock revetment services ensure proper core stone, filter fabric, and armor sizing are essential.
• Reinforced retaining walls: We integrate shoreline walls with upland retaining walls and geogrid reinforcement to stabilize steep slopes and protect patios or pools.
• Deep foundations (timber, steel, helical piles): Docks, piers, and decks rely on piles driven to the proper depth and capacity. Helical piles are a strong option for soft soils and sites with limited access. Learn more about our work with Helical Piers.
• Caps, connections, and corrosion control: We use concrete or composite caps and stainless or hot-dipped galvanized hardware to extend service life, especially in brackish waters.

We build these systems using proven marine construction methods, always tuned to local conditions. Key engineering considerations include designing for combined storm loads, accounting for future scour, and preventing flanking at property lines.

Nature-Based and Hybrid Coastal Resiliency Projects

These features work well in lower-energy settings like the coves around Brightwaters and Huntington.

• Living shorelines: We integrate vegetation, sills, and marsh grading to reduce erosion while maintaining habitat connectivity. Their suitability depends on wave energy and boat traffic.
• Dune reinforcement: On oceanfront parcels in West Hampton and Southampton, we reinforce dunes with native vegetation, fencing, and sand placement to act as primary surge buffers.
• Marsh edge improvement: In sheltered areas, we grade gentle marsh benches, install coir logs for stability, and plant native grasses to bind sediment. Low-crested stone sills can be added to reduce wave energy.
• Hybrid systems: Where energy is higher, we combine low-profile breakwaters or sills with planted marshes and a setback bulkhead. This provides a resilient, multi-layered defense.

Successful projects require site-specific designs, proper toe protection, and clear maintenance plans. We deliver these systems with the same craftsmanship as our traditional walls. These systems are a key part of our sustainable marine construction practices.

Our Marine Construction Process

The Construction Process: From Planning to Implementation

We follow a clear, engineered path from concept to completion.

1. Site Assessment & Data Collection: We survey the shoreline, review soil conditions, and document site-specific factors like wave climate, fetch, and access constraints.
2. Engineering & Design: We select the appropriate wall type or revetment design, size all structural components (piles, tie-rods), and integrate proper drainage to manage water pressure. For nature-based systems, we design grading, vegetation, and any structural sills.
3. Materials Selection: We specify corrosion-resistant alloys, UV-stable composites, and appropriate geotextile filters to ensure longevity and performance.
4. Quality Control & Cost Planning: We provide transparent cost estimates and design for long-term value. Our process includes rigorous quality checks like load testing and as-built surveys to ensure the final structure meets our exacting standards. We focus on delivering value through durable, low-maintenance solutions.

Putting It All Together: How We Build Resilience That Lasts

Protecting coastal property on Long Island isn’t guesswork—it’s disciplined marine construction guided by site data and proven engineering. Here’s how we decide the right path for each community we serve.

• Massapequa, Merrick, Wantagh, Bellmore

  • Canal and bayfront parcels often face moderate boat wake and wind chop. We typically install vinyl/composite bulkheads with proper tie-back systems, stone toe protection, and integrated drainage—sometimes pairing with small marsh benches or coir log fringes where energy allows.

• Brightwaters, West Islip, Babylon, Bayshore

  • Mixed exposures require a custom approach. On more open reaches, revetments with well-keyed toes and crest elevations set for future conditions may outperform vertical walls; on sheltered coves, hybrid sills with marsh benches can deliver stability with habitat value.

• Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, Lloyd Harbor

  • North Shore sites encounter different fetch and geology. We often recommend composite or steel sheet systems with deeper embedment and attention to ice loading. Where appropriate, stone revetments with geotextile filters deliver robust energy dissipation.

• Southampton, West Hampton

  • Oceanfront demands reinforced dunes and carefully detailed access ways. We coordinate dune reinforcement with robust upland retaining elements and storm-rated deck foundations, ensuring piles and connections are engineered for surge, runup, and debris impact loads.

Across all these locations, our objective is consistent: engineer and build the right structure—then build it right. That means:

• Specifying materials for brackish and saltwater environments
• Designing to future water levels and storm patterns
• Paying attention to the “invisible” details: tie-back spacing, cap reinforcement, drainage planes, and toe stability
• Integrating upland drainage so your wall relieves pressure rather than fights it
• Delivering clean lines, tight tolerances, and finishes that look as strong as they perform

Choosing the Right Shoreline Protection for Your Long Island Property

Matching the Solution to Your Shoreline: The best protection for your property depends on its specific conditions. For moderate-to-high energy areas in Nassau and Suffolk County or on narrow lots, our engineered bulkheads or revetments are often the most effective solution. In low-energy coves with adequate space, we can design and install high-performing nature-based or hybrid systems. Our process begins with a thorough site assessment to recommend the ideal engineered option with clear budgets and objectives.

Building for Longevity and Durability: The service life of a marine structure depends on materials, exposure, and craftsmanship. We build for durability, specifying vinyl/composite bulkheads with robust tie-back systems and caps that can serve for decades. Our stone revetments are detailed for exceptional longevity. We select materials and construction techniques specifically to withstand Long Island's harsh saltwater environments.

Transparent Costing and Lifecycle Value: We control project costs by tuning structural designs to actual site loads, using corrosion-resistant materials to minimize future maintenance, and staging construction access efficiently. Our estimates are transparent, and we prioritize discussing the long-term lifecycle costs and value of your investment from the start.

Expert Seawall and Bulkhead Repair: We provide comprehensive structural assessments to determine if a repair is a viable option. Our repair services include tie-back upgrades, cap replacements, toe armor installation, and localized panel repairs. When a full replacement is the smarter long-term investment, we provide a clear engineering-based explanation.

Storm-Resistant Foundations for Docks and Decks: Docks and decks require specialized foundations to withstand coastal storms. We engineer pile spacing, embedment depth, and connections to handle uplift, lateral loads, and potential debris impact. For sites with soft sediments or limited access, our helical pile installation services deliver exceptional load capacity with minimal site disturbance.

Protect Your Long Island Shoreline with Pearce Marine Construction

We’ve built and repaired thousands of feet of shoreline protection—and countless docks, decks, and walkways—across Nassau and Suffolk County. As a woman-owned, Long Island-based marine construction company, we’re proud to bring generational expertise and meticulous craftsmanship to communities from Massapequa and Merrick to West Islip, Babylon, Huntington, and the Hamptons.

If you’re weighing your options, we can help you evaluate structural, nature-based, and hybrid Coastal resiliency projects—and build the solution that’s right for your shoreline.

• Explore services: Marine Construction Services, Full Service Marine Construction
• Deep dive into walls: Seawalls and Bulkheads
• Strengthen your foundation: Helical Piers, Contact us for helical pile services
• Protect against storms: Coastal Flood Protection, Storm Damage Marine Repair

Ready to build a stronger shoreline? We’re local. We’re meticulous. And we’re here to protect your property with resilient marine construction that lasts.