PBS News Weekend

An estimated 14 percent of America's shoreline is already hardened by infrastructure like seawalls, and with concerns of sea level rise, that number is expected to double by the turn of the century. These concrete, wood, or plastic walls shield houses, businesses, and streets from crashing waves. But they're not the only option. Instead coastal communities are increasingly turning to a new strategy called "living shorelines," to protect coasts from erosion, reinforce natural habitats, and combat sea level rise. PBS NewsHour Weekend's Hari Sreenivasan reports from the Gulf Coast of Florida. This story is part of our ongoing series Peril and Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change, and produced in partnership with Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization.