Helping communities grow sustainable practices that benefitOur Coastal Environment

We’re creating enhanced sustainability and environmental resilience for Sussex County.

Help Our Cause

Any contribution you provide will go towards saving our coastal environment by creating sustainable practices in our community.

About Us

At The DECO, we help communities grow sustainable practices that benefit the environment through action and policy including, but not limited to, initiatives involving aquaculture, fisheries, green infrastructure, and living shoreline installations.

Want to learn more? Have The DECO come speak to your group!

Restorative Aquaculture

Improves the Delaware coastal environment while also producing sustainable seafood.

Fisheries

Intended to serve the local aquaculture industry and nonprofits conducting restoration work in the form of living shorelines and oyster reefs.

Green Infrastructure

Provides a network of natural environmental components and green/blue spaces that provide ecosystem services, enhancing biodiversity and benefiting communities.

Living Shoreline Installations

Offer a strong, ecologically favorable, and aesthetic solution to minimize the rate of coastal erosion in low-lying, coastal areas within the state.

Restorative Aquaculture

Improves the Delaware coastal environment while also producing sustainable seafood.

Fisheries

Intended to serve the local aquaculture industry and nonprofits conducting restoration work in the form of living shorelines and oyster reefs.

Green Infrastructure

Provides a network of natural environmental components and green/blue spaces that provide ecosystem services, enhancing biodiversity and benefiting communities.

Living Shoreline Installations

Offer a strong, ecologically favorable, and aesthetic solution to minimize the rate of coastal erosion in low-lying, coastal areas within the state.

Our Latest Projects

Fisheries and Aquaculture Innovation Center (FAIC)

Critical bottlenecks to the aquaculture industry and restoration practitioners alike include the lack of critical infrastructure, as well as the lack of supply of oyster shell, larvae, and individual oyster seed. In response to these challenges, the University of Delaware constructed a pilot-scale oyster hatchery at the Lewes campus. The hatchery is intended to serve the local aquaculture industry and nonprofits conducting restoration work in the form of living shorelines and oyster reefs.

Living Shores

As development continues along Delaware’s coasts, resilient measures are required to ensure the stability of these vulnerable regions. Living shorelines offer a strong, ecologically favorable, and aesthetic solution to minimize the rate of coastal erosion in low-lying, coastal areas within the state. As erosion persists, the naturally found assemblage of shellfish, grasses, and reef material grows along the coast to provide continuous support year after year.

how you can help

Make a Difference Where Land Meets Sea.

Volunteering with The DECO is a powerful way to protect the places you love. Your efforts will help preserve fragile ecosystems, support wildlife, and combat climate change. Join us and be part of a hands-on movement to ensure our coasts remain vibrant and resilient for generations to come. Every action counts—especially yours.

Resources

Volunteer

Make a difference today and volunteer at The DECO. Help preserve our ecosystem and support our local wildlife as we fight climate change.

Events

Check out our latest upcoming events provided by us.

In The News

See what we've been up to in the news from our local magazines and newspapers.