Natural Resources staff installed the Cliff Stabilizers at areas in Madaket and Dionis last week.
Natural Resources staff installed the Cliff Stabilizers at areas in Madaket and Dionis last week.
Natural Resources staff installed Cliff Stabilizers on the beach in Madaket and Dionis last week.
Natural Resources staff installed the Cliff Stabilizers at areas in Madaket and Dionis last week.
Natural Resources staff installed the Cliff Stabilizers at areas in Madaket and Dionis last week.
Natural Resources staff installed the Cliff Stabilizers at areas in Madaket and Dionis last week.
Natural Resources staff installed Cliff Stabilizers on the beach in Madaket and Dionis last week.
Natural Resources staff installed the Cliff Stabilizers at areas in Madaket and Dionis last week.
(April 10, 2025) As Nantucket fights a costly, multi-front battle against erosion, a quiet, low-tech alternative debuted last week, one that might offer a natural, affordable solution to constantly shifting sands.
Known as Cliff Stabilizers, the honeycomb-shaped pieces of marine-grade plastic are embedded in dunes to support the growth of native American beach grass. The goal: provide a natural, inexpensive way to stabilize Nantucket’s eroding shoreline.
“This is a way to boost the success rates of living shorelines, and maybe be able to establish plans in places where erosive forces preclude that from happening,” said Nick Thatos, CEO and co-founder of Coastal Technologies, which created the Cliff Stabilizers.
The devices, used in conjunction with plantings, have been successfully utilized on the north shore of Long Island, including by several private property owners, he said.
Once the plants in the stabilizers are large enough to survive on their own, the stabilizers are removed and used in a different location.
“We just stabilized a 35,000-square-foot private bluff and they’re also being used in New Jersey by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and (the nonprofit conservation group) Ducks Unlimited,” Thatos said.
Leah Hill, the town’s coastal resilience coordinator, said the pilot project aims to test the Cliff Stabilizers in two locations: near the end of Madaket Road and in the Dionis area.
The two roughly 400-square-foot trials cost the town about $10,000, Hill said, noting that the stabilizers can be reused in different locations, and only take a few hours to install or remove.
“We are testing it in a highly dynamic area that experiences significant erosion, and see how it compares to an area that still experiences erosion but not as dynamically,” she said.
“We’re taking data to see if sand is accreting in the area where these Cliff Stabilizers are, and then we’re also taking data on plant density and survival.”
American beach grass is a native species that is adapted to the rough climate on Nantucket, Hill said. Its root system, when it gets large enough, consolidates and traps sand, which help it from falling victim to erosion.
“They are meant to be there to support the natural establishment of plants and then removed and be used elsewhere,” Thatos said.
“They’re very easily installed, very easily removed. And because they are temporary, they’re fully adjustable in the field.”
Each site on the north and south shores will be broken into three areas around 400 square feet each. The first is the area with the Cliff Stabilizers, the second just seed plantings without the stabilizers while the third is a control area, with no planting or stabilizers.
Hill said the town is working on setting up a fourth area using Dune Guards, another of Coastal Technology’s product that traps loose sand, but is still working on permitting.
The idea for Cliff Stabilizers came from the ashes of failed plantings, Thatos said. Plants have long been touted as one of nature’s best forces to combat erosion.
Thatos said he had seen times when tens of thousands of beach-grass plugs were planted only to all be washed away by a major storm before they could really take root.
“That’s a lot of work and effort. So, you think, is there any way to sort of use nature and the absorption of energy to help stabilize these plants and give them the time necessary to establish,” he asked.
Hill said if the trials prove successful on Nantucket, it would be a very cost-effective tool in the island’s bag for battling erosion, and could be used by private homeowners as well.
“This is a test project to see if the stabilizers can help prevent the loss of newly-planted grasses,” Thatos said. “Whether that leads to long-term shoreline stability will ultimately be up to Nantucket to determine. Whatever you can do to mitigate erosion, and, you know, prevent land loss, that’s going to be a positive benefit.”
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your comment has been submitted.
Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Account processing issue – the email address may already exist
Have the latest local news delivered every morning so you don’t miss out on updates.
Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email.
Get the latest headlines on local sports!
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Secure transaction. Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.