The United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) developed the Engineering With Nature (EWN) initiative to "efficiently and sustainably deliver economic, environmental and social benefits through the use of natural systems." EWN programs and projects intentionally align natural and engineering processes. "Engineering With Nature: An Atlas, Volume 2" showcases 62 projects worldwide that have employed the concept of EWN, and includes in-depth illustrations and descriptions. Projects include those associated with coastal resiliency, shoreline stabilization with reefs, restoring natural waterways in riverine systems, mitigating flood risk through natural processes in flood plains, alternative interventions using vegetation and natural materials, and engineering of alternative substrates for habitat creation integrated with infrastructure. The virtual book launch ceremony occurred on 7 April 2021 and can be viewed online here. 

One of CSA’s flagship projects, the Bonner Bridge Seagrass Mitigation Project, in support of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), utilized Atlantic Reefmaker reef technology, and is featured in the Reefs section of the publication. This project, located in Pamlico Sound near Oregon Inlet on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, performed wind wave modeling to select placement of a Reefmaker artificial reef to focus dissipation of wave energy in a patchy seagrass landscape. The reduction in wave energy encourages coalescence of natural seagrass patches and creates new, persistent seagrass acreage as mitigation for bridge construction impacts. CSA scientists Dr. Mark Fonseca and Erin Hodel will conduct the project’s final Year 5 Monitoring Survey this July.

Bridges, T. S., E. M. Bourne, B. C. Suedel, E. B. Moynihan, and J. K. King. 2021. Engineering With Nature: An Atlas, Volume 2. ERDC SR-21-2. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/40124.