Coastal erosion can be tough to control for any number of reasons: heavy wave action, hurricanes and storm surges, changing current patterns. Some Maryland residents have found a new one: the Puritan tiger beetle.
The endangered insect is found in just two areas of the United States: in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay, and in Connecticut along a stretch of the Connecticut River. The beetles lay their eggs during the summer, and their larvae burrow into the beach sand, where they remain for more than two years through various stages of development.
The steadily eroding cliffs over the bay in Maryland’s Calvert County—with about 90 homes sitting atop them—form a natural habitat for the beetles. Although the shoreline is moving closer to many of the homes, state and federal laws protecting endangered species have so far prevented homeowners from doing anything to stop the erosion. Much of the beetles’ habitat in other areas has already been lost to development or through bank stabilization projects that have made their riverbank or beach environments unsuitable for development of the larvae.
Property owners are meeting with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies, trying to get permits approved to allow shoreline revetments. It’s not clear whether the permits will be approved or, if they are, whether structural changes can be made in time to save all the homes.
The Fish and Wildlife Service says that among the other options being considered are relocating the beetles to a new habitat, physically moving the homes farther from the shore—although that’s expensive not feasible in every case—and buying out the homeowners. In any case, it appears one population or the other might have to move. You can read more about the situation here.