After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Mississippi was awarded $50M in restoration funds to protect the Hancock County Marsh Coastal Preserve, which had the fastest erosion rate of any Mississippi marsh in 2015. A project spearheaded by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Office of Restoration beneficially reused 100,000 cubic yards of dredged material from nearby Port Bienville and the Pearl River to create 46 acres of new marsh. In addition, 46 acres of subtidal oyster reef were restored in Heron Bay, along with 5.9 miles of living breakwaters to reduce wave energy along the Mississippi Sound.
The year 2025 will see the addition of 1.7 miles of breakwaters. These efforts have led to a biologically healthier reef and shoreline, leading to an increase in fishing and crabbing in the area.
