Aerial view of Martin Refuge shoreline

Aerial view of the living shoreline at Martin National Wildlife Refuge on the northern half of Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The Fish and Wildlife Service used oyster reefs to stabilize 20,950 feet of shoreline, protecting more than 1,200 acres of tidal marsh, submerged aquatic vegetation and clam beds against storms. These saltwater habitats support the island's soft crab fishery, a natural resource that Smith Islanders depend on for their livelihoods.