Gulf Shores student updates living shoreline restoration project

Aidan Holdsworth using research to propel into college

BY RUTH MAYO
Reporter
ruth@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 1/22/25

GULF SHORES — Aidan Holdsworth, a high schooler who is working on shoreline restoration along Little Lagoon, is conducting new research on the marsh grass he planted last summer to reduce …

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Gulf Shores student updates living shoreline restoration project

Aidan Holdsworth using research to propel into college

Posted

GULF SHORES — Aidan Holdsworth, a high schooler who is working on shoreline restoration along Little Lagoon, is conducting new research on the marsh grass he planted last summer to reduce damage to the living shoreline.

"The plants are all doing well; they're all growing," Holdsworth said. "They have established a steady growth curve, and it looks good."

As previously reported by Gulf Coast Media, Holdsworth's living shoreline project works as a natural solution to shore erosion, which has become apparent on Little Lagoon's shores mostly as a result from waves bouncing off the wooden or concrete hardened shorelines, such as bulkheads or rip rap.

By planting marsh grasses like black needle rush and cord grass, which grow on the area of land that is closest to the water, Holdsworth is providing a habitat for animals in the area and creating a natural filter for overflows of phosphorous, nitrogen, sediment and excess salt from runoff water before it reaches estuaries like the lagoon.

Of the 300 plants the Gulf Shores High School senior installed last summer, 238 remain. The biggest loss came when Tropical Storm Alberto hit the coast in June 2024, just two weeks after he planted the first batch. In December 2024, he put in 100 black needle rush and 100 cord grass plants. He said no plants have been taken out by storms yet.

"Considering we planted those plants (the 200) in wintertime, with fewer storms, I was hoping that would be the case, and so they are all there, and they are all doing well," Holdsworth said. "They're all growing. Some of the cord grass has turned a little brown, but that's because of the temperature, not because they're dying."

He compared the changing colors of the grass blades to the way a tree's leaves change colors and fall off once it's colder. The plants are continuing to grow "without the use of their leaves during the wintertime."

Holdsworth said colder temperatures could have an impact on the species he is currently finding in his biodiversity research, but the plants are unlikely to die unless there is "a hard freeze" in Gulf Shores, which is uncommon so Holdsworth is "not that worried about it." Forecasts for a winter storm with extreme cold temperatures was aimed locally, though, earlier this week.

Rows of cord grass, planted by Aidan Holdsworth and his team of friends, line Little Lagoon's shore.
Rows of cord grass, planted by Aidan Holdsworth and his team of friends, line Little Lagoon's shore.
RUTH MAYO / GULF COAST MEDIA

Holdsworth said a "slight increase in the macro biodiversity" has been noted in his samples he has taken since the summer but that he hasn't found a link between the plants' growth and an increase in larger animals in the area yet.

Gulf Shores High School environmental science teacher Krista Fleming, who has been working with Holdsworth on the project, said this "could just be yearly population fluctuations." Holdsworth said it could be varied upon the different seasons. Either way, he decided more research is needed.

To discover a link between the plant and animal species in the area, Holdsworth will be looking at the microorganisms and "anything that could establish a link between the larger organisms" and the plants.

Holdsworth said he will be studying soil life by using a "kind of little suction gun; you take the sand about six inches down, you put it through a 500-micron mesh sieve, and basically it'll filter out all of the dirt, but it'll keep the plankton, the worms and anything that would be food for the larger organisms."

Holdsworth expects there to be "a decent amount" of microorganisms present already, but he expects those populations and varieties to increase as the marsh grass has more time to grow.

By collecting about 60 random samples, with 10 samples coming from each of the six sections Holdsworth has planted marsh grass, he is able to see how the heights and root systems are growing and how the shoreline is being retained.

"It's also just to make sure that we're not having any sample bias like choosing the tallest plants or the best-looking plants," Holdsworth said.

Fleming said he is working on "a more detailed scientific project" compared to the research he was completing over the summer.

"I love just seeing the scientific process happening and just the learning process of here's how all the logistics work," Fleming said. "You're looking at those logistics, you have all the materials you need, and you have all the people scheduled where they need to be, so it's a lot more of a real-life experience that he's getting in addition to the scientific project, which I think is just a huge contribution to future success and college."

Holdsworth said after he graduates from Gulf Shores this May he plans to go to college for his bachelor's in marine biology. He's not sure which school he will attend yet, but if he stays close to the area or within the state, he wants to plan continuous research on this spot in Little Lagoon.

However, working with black needle rush and cord grass marsh grasses is not what he plans to do in and after college.

"With my degree, I want to specialize in studying cartilaginous fishes (AKA sharks), and while I love working with needle rush and plants," Holdsworth said while wearing his Texas Aquarium sweatshirt featuring a shark silhouette, "I really am passionate about sharks, and I really want to study sharks, rays and other marine life."

Along with running an effective scientific experiment, Holdsworth is using Little Lagoon for his senior career tech capstone project, and he will be writing a scientific paper on what he's "been researching for a while." He said he is proud to accomplish this "as a high schooler" and sees it as "a great skill to have."

Many of Holdsworth's friends, some who happen to be Environmental Science Club members, have helped with gathering samples, planting plants and making the process easier by working as a team.

"They have been a big help, and I would not have been able to plant the plants and get through all the stuff in a reasonable amount of time if I did not have them helping me," Holdsworth said.

Fleming said, "It wasn't just, 'We're going to dig a hole and plant a plant.' It's, 'We're going to put waders on, and we're going to have water up past our knees, and it's winter.' Those are very dedicated friends."

With his extended microorganism research having started Jan. 18, Holdsworth said he is excited to keep up with, over time, how the marsh grass will help the ecosystem by restoring the natural shoreline.