Brisbane Living Shoreline
City of Brisbane, San Mateo County; Measure AA Region: West Bay
Vital Fish, Bird and Wildlife Habitat Program
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), and San Francisco State University’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center (EOS)
This grant funds the San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District (OneShoreline) to undertake the Brisbane Living Shoreline Project, consisting of collecting baseline ecological and physical data, preparing 30% designs and environmental review documentation, conducting regulatory engagement and community engagement, and preparing draft permit applications for restoration of eelgrass and native oyster habitat along approximately 1.5 miles of the Brisbane shoreline in San Mateo.
The Brisbane shoreline is one of the few locations in San Mateo County identified by regional scientific assessments as having strong potential for restoration of subtidal habitats, including eelgrass meadows and native Olympia oyster beds. Eelgrass along this section of shoreline is currently absent and native oyster settlement remains low due to a history of shoreline hardening. The loss of oysters and eelgrass reduces water quality and eliminates important structural habitat for aquatic invertebrates and fish. As a result, the shoreline becomes less capable of supporting diverse communities of fish, birds, and invertebrates.
To start addressing these challenges, the project will complete the scientific and technical groundwork needed to support a future full‑scale living shoreline restoration effort. Based on regional assessments and early technical evaluations, the Brisbane shoreline could ultimately support approximately 100 acres of eelgrass and 50 acres of native oyster habitat across the project’s 1.5‑mile reach.
