ShoreLock Anti-Erosion Technology

ShoreLock, LLC was created with one vision in mind: To restore and protect the world's critically eroded coastlines with a proactive, resilient, eco-friendly, and sustainable technology that can be easily dispatched and implemented anywhere on earth.  Its founders, Dr. Troy Scott and Blayne Ross, long-time friends with considerably different backgrounds and experiences in science and business, came together to create "ShoreLock", a natural biopolymer composite that increases the cohesion between sand particles on a sandy beach.  The result is a beach with a gentler slope that retains natural sand and resists erosion.   

Sandy beaches are limited natural resources that protect communities, provide species habitats to live, protect trillions of dollars of economic investment and revenue, and provide millions of jobs worldwide. The loss of beaches due to erosion will have significant scientific, cultural, and economic impacts, and new strategies must be continuously implemented in order to mitigate the effects of coastal erosion. The ShoreLock Pilot in Surfside, Florida will provide independent scientists and engineers the opportunity to monitor and study the effects of the technology. A successful pilot will elevate humanity by providing a sustainable solution to help all countries adapt to sea-level rise, protect their economic investments, reduce their consumption of sand, and reduce the harmful effects of dredging and sand mining on the environment. 

About half of the world's population (3.5 billion people) lives within 200 km of the coast and according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports (2018), 24% of the earth's sandy beaches are eroding. Of particular concern is that the majority of these beaches are in marine protected areas, which provide homes to aquatic life and impact coral health. In the United States alone, nearly 1 trillion dollars of coastal real estate is threatened by rising seas.  With continuing fossil fuel emissions and subsequent climate change increasing, erosion will only be exacerbated.  62% of nourished beaches erode in 3-5 years and engineering solutions alone can not economically or environmentally sustain the coastlines at this rate of erosion. The stabilization of sandy beaches does not reverse or stop climate change; however, using science to help mitigate sea level rise without relying upon environmentally-costly restoration projects such as beach renourishment will ultimately make a positive impact on global environmental health.

ShoreLock is a natural biopolymer in powder form that (when added to sand) increases the natural cohesive properties between water and sand.  In principle and practice, ShoreLock increases the hydrogen bonding surface properties of sand and therefore increases the number of water molecules that can effectively "bond" the sand together without noticeable change to the touch by either marine life or humans. It also contains a dewatering agent that optimizes the distance between sand particles and increases the pore pressure in packed sand.  This interaction creates the optimum sandcastle, as too little or too much water would cause a castle to collapse. However, when the amount of water is "just right", the sandcastle is at its optimum strength. When added to a beach, the result is a more natural slope and the absence of an erosion "cliff" or escarpment that retains natural sand, resists erosion, and protects our coastlines from sea level rise and storm activity. 

Coastal erosion is a global problem. Whether threatening indigenous people's islands in the South Pacific or the coastline of Florida, we are all impacted either environmentally or economically by sea-level rise. Our method provides the opportunity to educate communities on what's possible and actively engage them in conversation about how they plan for the future. Through in-person town hall meetings and local government meetings, we sit down with the community and actively enroll and educate. For example, in  Jamaica, ShoreLock was the subject of a national study funded by the European Union, United Nations Environment Programme, and the Government of Jamaica to identify and combat environmental risks caused by climate change. With this award, we will be able to continue our education and outreach to other countries to share the data and methodology to help protect them.

ShoreLock has set out to stabilize 30% of the planet's coastlines by 2030. In order to achieve this goal we need to enroll industry leaders, governments, powerful influencers, scientists, and engineers though advanced communication and knowledge exchange across borders and disciplines. Our U.S. pilot will provide data and guidance for countries across the globe to sustainably mitigate their coastal erosion problems and proactively plan for sea-level rise in the future. Our project is crucial to changing the entrenched engineering industry's beliefs of what's possible and to include alternative scientific solutions while working together towards a new future.

The concept of ShoreLock was born from a conversation between friends seeking a solution to help protect their homes in Florida in the face of Climate Change. One member of the group, Dr. Troy Scott (as a microbiology graduate student), had previously studied the molecular forces involved in the attachment and adsorption of viruses, parasites, and bacteria to solid media such as soil, clay, and sand.  Ultimately, he modified the surface characteristics of granular filter media to increase the removal of microbial and chemical contaminants from water.  During this later conversation, he was challenged to apply his knowledge to optimize the interaction between sand particles to increase cohesion and resist erosion.  In short time, he developed a prototype formula for ShoreLock and the idea for a company that could protect coastlines around the world in an environmentally-friendly, sustainable way was created.

Like most people, the health of the environment is extremely important, but for us it's personal. We both grew up on the coast. Our families, friends and ways of life are being impacted. The beaches that were once so wide you thought you'd never make it to the water's edge have now disappeared and left boardwalk stairs floating disconnected in mid-air hoping to be of use again. Friend's homes are at risk of falling into the ocean with the next storm and simple high tides during a full moon cause streets to flood in the middle of a sunny day. We both want to make a difference in our community, but we understand our solution is more than just about us. With it, we can help prevent island nations from disappearing, keep coral reefs from being smothered by dredged silt, and free up capital that can be used for other social causes. We passionately want to be leaders in the ocean's community and look forward to supporting additional environmental initiatives, including plastic removal and other marine science initiatives. 

We have completed numerous small beach restoration projects in resorts in the Caribbean. Each project has provided us with valuable information (particularly with regard to potential environmental impacts) that allows us to move forward confidently with a large scale project in Florida. ShoreLock has shown efficacy in promoting the accretion and retention of natural sand while having absolutely no negative impacts on the marine environment. With all of our known variables defined and identification of significant knowledge gaps, we believe that we possess the knowledge and skill set to move forward with a complete large scale beach restoration project. 

Introducing a new technology to a foreign country is not an easy task.  This is especially true when your technology directly impacts the beaches and marine environment in an island country that is significantly dependent on tourism.  That is what we did with ShoreLock in Jamaica.  Initially, we approached the appropriate government authorities and obtained the necessary licenses and approvals to apply ShoreLock to a single hotel beach.  As our positive results were quickly recognized by other hotel properties, we found ourselves with numerous service contracts.  Soon, the general public discovered our efforts; however, rather than being excited about the prospect of protecting and preserving the Jamaican coastline, they felt duped, cheated, and lied-to about the technology.  This was initially confusing to us as we had gone through all of the proper channels in order to legally apply ShoreLock to Jamaican beaches.  What we did not do, however, was provide education and outreach to the local communities within which we were working in order to explain the process in details that they could appreciate and understand.  With a little backpedaling, we were able to conduct a nationwide information campaign that ultimately resulted in the successful completion of a national project.   

During college, Blayne wanted to be part of his university Greek system, follow in his father’s footsteps, and join his dad’s fraternity. Denied a bid from his father’s chapter for being gay, Blayne was committed to becoming part of the Greek system and sought a way to participate by creating a new fraternity on campus that was inclusive of sexual orientation and racial diversity. In partnership with a national organization returning to campus,  Blayne became a founding father (Troy was also a founding member), and was quickly elected Chapter President. Over the next three years, Blayne helped to build one of the largest houses on campus that was recognized for its diversity, overall academic GPA, athletic teams, and philanthropic contributions to the Children’s Miracle Network. He continued his leadership work outside the chapter by being accepted and voted into an executive role in the University’s oldest and most prestigious leadership honorary, Florida Blue Key. Following college, he has continued to support the national chapter of his fraternity by working as a mentor and Advisor to various start-up colonies since 2000.

ShoreLock is a scientific approach to what is typically seen as an engineering challenge. Typically, engineering solutions to coastal erosion involve building protective structures such as jetties, breakwaters, and sea walls or renourishing beaches with mined or dredged sand.  Engineered structures are designed to trap sand physically.  ShoreLock is a molecular approach.  By increasing sand cohesion, beaches become more stable.  The natural slope returns, and erosion "cliffs" or escarpments disappear.  This may sound too good to be true, but ShoreLock simply optimizes a process that we have known about since we were children: That it takes just the right amount of water to create the strongest sandcastle.  Our process requires no infrastructure or beach closures and has no harmful environmental impacts. ShoreLock is a low-cost, sustainable, proactive solution that can be implemented along with conventional engineering or be used as a stand alone application. 

Sea level rise is one of the greatest threats resulting from Climate Change that we will face over the next 100 years and new approaches are desperately needed to address this problem. ShoreLock technology is a systemic shift in the way coastlines will be maintained as it fundamentally advances traditionally reactive measures into a proactive sustainable change in methodology. The framework for this to occur must first happen by enrolling the community in which the project takes place. Through education and outreach, the community will learn about ocean and coastal health and how traditional approaches to sea level rise have impacted their environment. Examples of benefits realized following a successful ShoreLock project include increased turtle nesting, elimination of escarpments leading to safer beaches for users, better business performance due to less beach closures, healthier coral reefs, and a subsequent increase in tourism and local fishing. The process costs roughly 30-40% less that traditional coastal protection and restoration. Over time, this allows available funds to be reallocated to other needs such as a boardwalk replacement, dune restoration, public restrooms, and other municipal needs not related to the coastline. All of these factors elevate the quality of life for residents and help protect the surrounding environment. Our track record has shown that the ShoreLock approach to coastal restoration and resilience is unique in its proactiveness, effectiveness, and sustainability.  We look forward to continuing our efforts to spread awareness of the availability of alternative ways to combat sea level rise in a cost-effective, eco-friendly way. 

About half of the world's population (3.5 billion people) lives within 200 km of the coast. Sea-level rise is a challenge we face today and for the foreseeable future. While not everyone on the planet will have their homes threatened, the ripple of change will be affected globally from financial markets to food supply. Coastal communities can anticipate loss of real estate value, impacted infrastructure for power, transportation and clean water, inability to access capital for home purchases and insurance to name a few. As water levels rise, crops in low lying areas close to the shore will suffer from salt water intrusion leaving land fallow an reducing crop size. With smaller yield available to market we may see increases in pricing, higher demand for crops due to scarcity and reduced access to biological diversity. Sea-level rise will directly and meaningfully impact almost everyone on the planet during the next century. 

Working on ShoreLock has taught us a lot about navigating the government, building community, and the difference between enrollment in a concept and simply selling a product. We have more work to do to improve, but we are excited about teaching others what we have learned and participating in the education around creating sustainable business models. Troy by nature is a teacher and loves working with students in the lab. Blayne is a natural leader and has already begun to guest lecture to social impact classes and regularly mentors through a non-profit he's currently involved in. As a philanthropic business, ShoreLock has donated thousands of dollars to the community in Jamaica that was the site of our first project.  We have purchased equipment for the local hospital and sponsor an annual holiday dinner during which we feed those in need and encourage fellowship in the community.  Our goal is to continue to educate those in the communities we serve while also restoring and protecting the environment that is integral to their way of life.

Establishing ShoreLock as a credible and viable method of coastal care in years 1 and 2 is our current challenge. This will come through a successful US pilot that is able to replicate our success in the Caribbean. The subsequent challenges will be educating the non-profits and general public that our solution is sustainable, directly benefits the marine ecosystem, and is in their best interest. 

The long range challenge will be enrolling the dredging industry in our work.  Positioning ShoreLock as part of the overall solution to combatting coastal erosion (and not the magic bullet to completely solving the problem) is paramount. The dredging industry is lucrative, entrenched, and in line with techniques that coastal engineers are familiar with recommending. To be successful in this market, we will need to work together with engineers and dredgers (and not in place of them) to provide sustainable coastlines. This conversation will continue over the next 5 years until our approach is widely accepted and included in their projects. 

We must start our education with the scientific and engineering community, followed by the non-profit organizations in the ocean's space. Buy-in from these groups will allow us to begin a more public campaign that educates taxpayers who influence government spending and policy priorities. Once the conversation reaches the level of Government buy-in, there is the possibility for real change to occur.  By placing a demand on the industry to change their methodology to include ways to keep their work in place longer, we can redirect the focus of their current business model of one that thrives on the beach washing away as quickly as possible to one that is more more environmentally safe and sustainable. 

Nexus Global Accelerator Fellow - A member of their first accelerator 

Oceanic Global - Partner organization that is referring their clients to our work

The current model for coastal engineering is managing designed obsolescence. While the key beneficiary of change will alway be humans, it's important to acknowledge that adapting our methods to include ShoreLock will drastically reduce the frequency of sand nourishments, which will directly benefit ocean health by previously discussed environmental benefits. Financially, ShoreLock allows a drastically lower financial model to be used that stabilizes spending by predictably reducing the rate of erosion and spikes caused by frequent severe weather events and sea-level rise. Although ShoreLock still carries an annualized cost, the predictability of the financial model is also a benefit allowing communities to anticipate future expenditures and prepare for them proactively. 

ShoreLock is an embedded for profit model that will generate revenues based on the sale of the technology to communities in a B2G format that may evolve to B2C over time. A percentage of profits will lend organizational support as we return capital to local communities through a B Corp structure focused on ocean education, plastic removal, and indigenous community coastal support. 

Pilot projects funded over the last year have been with Iberostar Resort & Hotel, Jamaica; the Grupo Punta Cana Foundation, Dominica Republic; Divi & Tamarijn Resort, Aruba. Contract amounts are not publicly disclosed.

We are currently seeking grant funding to replace funding that was previously provided by the State of Florida Legislature for a pilot taking place later this year in Surfside Florida in the amount of $210,000 per year for a three (3) year study period. Due to COVID-19, State budget cuts have resulted in loss of pilot funding and we are seeking to replace it via grants or sponsorship over the course of the next six months. 

Expected expenses over the next next five months are projected at $250,000

The Elevate Prize offers a network of mentors and advisors to help us strategize and plan our release of ShoreLock to market, and help establish and mold us as thought leaders in the ocean's space. The concept of our work is a shift in thinking and planning to an entrenched industry and government model of financing. It will take experienced advice in multiple disciples such as international distribution, manufacturing, public relations, US politics, marketing, and coastal engineering to launch a successful product campaign. The Elevate Prize will be beneficial to furthering the research and release of crucial coastal data. Moreover, the guidance, direction, and experience of the MIT Solve Team will help ensure the success of a significant breakthrough in coastal technology that can help protect the planet and all of its inhabitants. 

Army Corp of Engineers - are responsible for developing, planning and supervising coastal restoration across the United States 

The Nature Conservancy - non-profit leaders in the space with a broad international reach that will lend credibility to a for profit company doing environmental work across the globe

The World Bank - to aid in financing models for island nations without access to financing resources for protection of their community 

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock - the US's largest dredging company to fortify their coastal work

FEMA - To support provide support to coastal areas in advance of storms with the goal of reducing storm impact to infrastructure and homes due erosion.