Emerald Tutu installed in Mystic to combat erosion
Mystic ― Residents helped researchers from Northeastern University install an “Emerald Tutu” along the shore of Masons Island in Mystic Thursday, October 27, 2022.
The tutu is a floating vegetation mat that when interconnected could protect shorelines from rising sea levels and coastal flooding. The Masons Island Fire District’s Shoreline Protection Task Force is working with the National Science Foundation project to observe the mat’s viability and durability to withstand wave, wind, and tidal actions over the next two years. The tutu they anchored in Chippechaug Cove is about seven feet in diameter and made of biodegradable materials, such as wood chips and coconut fiber, and salt marsh vegetation. The tutu acts as a buffer between the shoreline and incoming waves, absorbing energy and protecting the land. The Mason’s Island Task Force came across the program while researching ways to combat shoreline erosion in the area. According to task force Chair Kristin Foster parts of the shoreline along Chippechaug Trail have eroded 4 four feet since the group started tracking the problem in the summer of 2020. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)
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