GULF SHORES — A local high school student is making waves by reducing damage along Little Lagoon with the restoration of a living shoreline.

Erosion has started to become apparent on the shores of Little Lagoon in Gulf Shores, mostly as a result from waves bouncing off the wooden or concrete hardened shorelines such as bulkheads or rip rap. A living shoreline is a natural solution to shore erosion.

Aidan Holdsworth is working to restore the living shoreline by planting black needle rush marsh grass, a grass that grows on the area of land that is closest to the water. Marsh grass provides habitat for animals in the area and can filter overflows of phosphorous, nitrogen, sediment and excess salt from runoff water before it reaches estuaries like the lagoon.

"I don't think many people know about our local ecosystems or recognize how important they are to keeping our beaches beautiful, keeping tourists here and keeping our water as sparkling clean as it is," Holdsworth said.

The rising Dolphin senior is completing his project in Little Lagoon with help from the Gulf Reach Institute, where he has received the title of inaugural Gulf Reach Student Ambassador for the State of Alabama. He received a $700 grant to purchase the plants and gather research on their progress.

Holdsworth has also been working with Gulf Shores High School environmental science teacher Krista Fleming to understand how projects like this work to improve living shorelines. Holdsworth was able to use the high school's greenhouse to start cultivating his black needle rush seedlings before replanting them on the lagoon.

"I felt like Aidan's passion for the environment was contagious and sparked a lot of student interest," Fleming said. "He was already educating the public when the grass was just in the greenhouse."

While growing the seedlings in the greenhouse, Holdsworth would water the plants every two or three days by flooding them in water. This watering method was beneficial for adapting the plants to the typical tides experienced in the lagoon.

However, this watering method could not have prepared the plants for the wave surges experienced due to Tropical Storm Alberto.

"Well, I can't control the weather," Holdsworth said.

"I don't think we could've prepared the plants for that, unfortunately," Fleming said. "And no one realized it was going to be that bad in the lagoon. It was a little worse than anticipated."

Despite the unexpected flooding, 31 out of the 100 plants survived — an impressive number considering they were only planted two weeks before the storm hit in June. Holdsworth said that when it comes time to plant the next batch of grass, he hopes that it does not happen during peak hurricane season.

Holdsworth regularly goes out to the site where he has planted black needle rush to see how the plants have grown or spread. He also checks regularly on the biodiversity of the plants and animals in the area to see how the restored marsh grass has affected the environment. He steadily counts how many crabs, fish or other creatures he sees in the area, including his recent first sighting of a stingray.

"The species diversity and the biodiversity in the area makes the ecosystem stronger," Holdsworth said.

Dennis Hatfield, president of the Little Lagoon Preservation Society, owns the property where Holdsworth is completing his restoration research. Coming from a science background, Hatfield is fascinated with the project and happy to provide a location, saying he would take "all the plants you've got."

"We're all working to educate the public, mostly the locals or the people that live and build around the lagoon, but also the tourists," Hatfield said. "Hardened shorelines might appeal to the eye, but they're not good for the health of the lagoon."

Hatfield said there is "a whole list of benefits" associated with living shorelines. Some things he mentioned include the work living shorelines do to soak up nutrients, create habitats and act as a carbon sink.

The black needle rush seedlings were planted on June 17 with assistance from Eric Sparks with the Coastal Research and Extension Center of Mississippi Sate University. Sparks helped Holdsworth and Fleming figure out where and how to plant the seedlings and created a project plan for the site.

Holdsworth said he plans to keep up with the marsh grass project after he graduates high school and regularly check on the surrounding ecosystem to ensure proper environment reconstruction is happening.

In addition to his work as a Gulf Reach Student Ambassador, Holdsworth has an internship with the Alabama Coastal Foundation where he is working to get informational posters about using red flashlights during sea turtle nesting season in the condos and hotels along the beach. Holdsworth is also a volunteer with Share the Beach and the president of the GSHS environmental club.