The Joint Base Langley Marina Shoreline Restoration created 22,215 ft2 of vegetated tidal wetland, using native seed bank to maximize the habitat value of the newly restored shoreline. Prior to construction, vegetation management was halted (except for invasive species control) to allow native plants that had been persisting in the concrete and rubble to set seed prior to work disturbance. The encouragement of a native soil seed bank allowed for healthier and more resilient emerging wetland plants completely unique to this shore.
Since completion of the restoration project, there has been a notable increase in wildlife biodiversity at the shoreline, including the salt marsh skipper, a salt marsh obligate butterfly. Within the Chesapeake Bay area, JBLE-Langley hosts one of the highest populations of this butterfly. This butterfly is an important component of marsh plant pollination and is a food species for many birds. Other wildlife observed at the site include fiddler crabs, killdeer, great blue herons, and various sparrows.
