Engineering and Restoration

AERC specializes in landscape services including erosion monitoring, environmental remediation, and coastal restoration. Learn more about our past and present projects below.

Restoration

hawaiian stilt

Oahu Wetland Restoration

Oahu is home to a range of rare species, including a quartet of endangered birds. By removing invasive species at Pu‘ewai Wetlands, AERC researchers maintain a delicate ecosystem for a range of endemic Hawaiian species.

close-up shot of asbestos fibers

Asbestos and Lead Monitoring

Several buildings on Japan's Kadena Air Base contain asbestos and lead. AERC surveyed the base's buildings and created an easy-to-access database to inform future usage and renovations.

UAA staff remove ironwood saplings from the beach

Hawaii Dune Restoration

Invasive ironwood overran 32 acres of Bellows Air Force Station in Hawaii. AERC worked to remove the invasives and stabilize sand dunes with native plant species.

 

students in a wetland

Wetland and Floodplain Management

AERC inventories plants, takes soil samples and records hydrologic processes to establish the types and locations of wetland habitat on Anchorage's military base.

gravel pi

Gravel Pit Restoration

Several gravel pits on Anchorage's joint base have outlived their use. AERC staff restored these spots into functional habitat that also support the health of neighboring streams.

a river running through a dark spruce forest

Ship Creek Wetland Monitoring

Floodwaters from Anchorage's Ship Creek can damage military buildings on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. A wetland analysis identified potential areas for hazard mitigation.

Coastal Monitoring

mud flats with a creek cutting through

Coastal Erosion

Anchorage's joint base sits on coastal bluffs that are slowly eroding into Cook Inlet. A shoreline analysis identified vulnerabilities and provided a timeline for response.

three men standing on beach pointing at ocean

Protecting Radar Sites

Olitok and Barter Island are long-range radar sites under threat from coastal erosion. AERC surveys provided a 50-year erosion timeline to help guide the Air Force's decision-making on the North Slope.