{"id":32841,"date":"2026-01-26T15:21:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T20:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?p=32841"},"modified":"2026-03-05T12:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T17:32:11","slug":"winter-2026-natural-oyster-farm-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/winter-2026-natural-oyster-farm-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting North Carolina Coastlines with Natural Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Researching the effects of oyster farms on shorelines could inform lasting, nature-based solutions for our coast.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

North Carolina\u2019s oyster aquaculture industry is growing rapidly. Simultaneously, coastlines across the East Coast are eroding as weather patterns change. Sam Holberg, a doctoral student in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering<\/a><\/strong> at NC State University, is exploring a potential solution that involves using oyster farms to preserve our shorelines.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holberg, recently named a 2025 North Carolina Coastal Research Fellow<\/strong><\/a> and a Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Global Change Research Fellow<\/a><\/strong>, finished his master\u2019s project on the effects of North Carolina\u2019s oyster aquaculture industry on water quality in July. For his doctoral studies, he is working with Celso Castro-Bolinaga, an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering who leads the Environmental Sediment Mechanics Research Group, to leverage oyster farms as a nature-based solution to halt erosion along the coast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from Florence, South Carolina, Holberg spent many summers outdoors. It was amongst nature in South Carolina\u2019s coastal plain, where his interest in the natural world blossomed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cI was outside a lot as a kid camping, so I was always interested in plants, animals and water,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In high school, Holberg found he gravitated toward biology. His interest in engineering began after his calculus teacher suggested he look into engineering programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holberg took this advice and attended Clemson University, where he graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in biosystems engineering. As a biosystems engineering major, he felt he could combine his love for the natural world with his drive to solve grand challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI tried a few different focus areas within biosystems engineering,\u201d Holberg says. \u201cI did renewable energy, water quality and then, finally, through an internship my junior year, I decided I wanted to do coastal work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image:<\/a>
Holberg uses a variety of tools to gather data at his research sites. Credit: NC State University CALS News.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a graduate student at NC State, Holberg is applying his passion to practical solutions. For his oyster aquaculture and erosion research, he spends his time taking measurements around oyster farms and collecting data for models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holberg\u2019s passion stems from how actionable his work is. \u201cThat\u2019s one reason I like graduate school \u2014 you\u2019re working towards solving issues,\u201d he says. He hopes to demonstrate that oyster farms can help preserve shorelines as well as produce food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, man-made sea walls are used to reduce the impacts of erosion. \u201cImagine you put up a concrete wall \u2014 the stuff behind the wall is not going to move, but it\u2019s also not going to get better,\u201d Holberg says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His project aims to implement a solution with an ecological function. \u201cMy research looks at whether an oyster farm is putting more sediment behind it, while also producing food sources at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Holberg (right) conducted jet erosion tests behind a seawall that failed in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, following Hurricane Helene. Credit: NC State University CALS News.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another project he has participated in as a doctoral student involved heading to the coast of Florida to collect data after hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of a multidisciplinary team from the National Science Foundation\u2019s Nearshore Extreme Events Reconnaissance (NEER) Association. This data collection effort will continue over the next two years through a recently funded National Science Foundation award<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of field data in general around extreme event-induced barrier breaches,\u201d Holberg says. The measurements and data they collected in Florida will be used to create models around how extreme weather events interact with coastal systems and infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s that adaptability in his research that Holberg has come to value in graduate school. \u201cComing up with new creative ideas to solve problems, I feel like is one of the strengths of biological engineers, because sometimes biology is confusing, and nature doesn\u2019t behave the way you want it to. You always have to be flexible and try out new things,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researching the effects of oyster farms on our shorelines could provide the data needed to adapt current methods, such as man-made infrastructure like sea walls, to lasting nature-based solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShoreline erosion is a very big problem, and a lot of people live on the coast,\u201d Holberg says. \u201cIf we can protect our shorelines through either oyster farms and nature-based methods, or even create models to know when extreme storms are going to cause catastrophic openings in inlets. . . coastal management agencies can make more informed decisions for coastal communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North Carolina Sea Grant and the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve jointly fund the North Carolina Coastal Research Fellowship<\/strong><\/a>, which is open to graduate students across North Carolina. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on coastal resilience<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More solutions for coastal NC<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia Rogers<\/strong> is a public communications specialist with the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at NC State University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special thanks to CALS News, which originally published this story here<\/strong><\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n
\n \n from WINTER 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

North Carolina\u2019s oyster aquaculture industry is growing rapidly. Simultaneously, coastlines across the East Coast are eroding as weather patterns change. Sam Holberg, a doctoral student in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering<\/a><\/strong> at NC State University, is exploring a potential solution that involves using oyster farms to preserve our shorelines.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holberg, recently named a 2025 North Carolina Coastal Research Fellow<\/strong><\/a> and a Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Global Change Research Fellow<\/a><\/strong>, finished his master\u2019s project on the effects of North Carolina\u2019s oyster aquaculture industry on water quality in July. For his doctoral studies, he is working with Celso Castro-Bolinaga, an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering who leads the Environmental Sediment Mechanics Research Group, to leverage oyster farms as a nature-based solution to halt erosion along the coast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from Florence, South Carolina, Holberg spent many summers outdoors. It was amongst nature in South Carolina\u2019s coastal plain, where his interest in the natural world blossomed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cI was outside a lot as a kid camping, so I was always interested in plants, animals and water,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In high school, Holberg found he gravitated toward biology. His interest in engineering began after his calculus teacher suggested he look into engineering programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holberg took this advice and attended Clemson University, where he graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in biosystems engineering. As a biosystems engineering major, he felt he could combine his love for the natural world with his drive to solve grand challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI tried a few different focus areas within biosystems engineering,\u201d Holberg says. \u201cI did renewable energy, water quality and then, finally, through an internship my junior year, I decided I wanted to do coastal work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image:<\/a>
Holberg uses a variety of tools to gather data at his research sites. Credit: NC State University CALS News.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a graduate student at NC State, Holberg is applying his passion to practical solutions. For his oyster aquaculture and erosion research, he spends his time taking measurements around oyster farms and collecting data for models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holberg\u2019s passion stems from how actionable his work is. \u201cThat\u2019s one reason I like graduate school \u2014 you\u2019re working towards solving issues,\u201d he says. He hopes to demonstrate that oyster farms can help preserve shorelines as well as produce food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, man-made sea walls are used to reduce the impacts of erosion. \u201cImagine you put up a concrete wall \u2014 the stuff behind the wall is not going to move, but it\u2019s also not going to get better,\u201d Holberg says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His project aims to implement a solution with an ecological function. \u201cMy research looks at whether an oyster farm is putting more sediment behind it, while also producing food sources at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Holberg (right) conducted jet erosion tests behind a seawall that failed in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, following Hurricane Helene. Credit: NC State University CALS News.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another project he has participated in as a doctoral student involved heading to the coast of Florida to collect data after hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of a multidisciplinary team from the National Science Foundation\u2019s Nearshore Extreme Events Reconnaissance (NEER) Association. This data collection effort will continue over the next two years through a recently funded National Science Foundation award<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of field data in general around extreme event-induced barrier breaches,\u201d Holberg says. The measurements and data they collected in Florida will be used to create models around how extreme weather events interact with coastal systems and infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s that adaptability in his research that Holberg has come to value in graduate school. \u201cComing up with new creative ideas to solve problems, I feel like is one of the strengths of biological engineers, because sometimes biology is confusing, and nature doesn\u2019t behave the way you want it to. You always have to be flexible and try out new things,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researching the effects of oyster farms on our shorelines could provide the data needed to adapt current methods, such as man-made infrastructure like sea walls, to lasting nature-based solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShoreline erosion is a very big problem, and a lot of people live on the coast,\u201d Holberg says. \u201cIf we can protect our shorelines through either oyster farms and nature-based methods, or even create models to know when extreme storms are going to cause catastrophic openings in inlets. . . coastal management agencies can make more informed decisions for coastal communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North Carolina Sea Grant and the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve jointly fund the North Carolina Coastal Research Fellowship<\/strong><\/a>, which is open to graduate students across North Carolina. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More on coastal resilience<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More solutions for coastal NC<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olivia Rogers<\/strong> is a public communications specialist with the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at NC State University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Special thanks to CALS News, which originally published this story here<\/strong><\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researching the effects of oyster farms on shorelines could inform lasting, nature-based solutions for our coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":32842,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Olivia Rogers","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"caption\":\"Sam Holberg. 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