Posted on October 19, 2026
The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) recognized the Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab (SMIIL) with its 2026 Robert L. Wiegel Coastal Project Award October 7. ASBPA presented the honor during its National Coastal Conference Centennial Celebration at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The award recognizes a coastal project that has stood the test of time and shown a positive environmental, social, or recreational benefit.
The Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab (SMIIL) has revolutionized the use of coastal dredging sediments to restore eroding salt marshes and protect vulnerable communities. It was nominated for this prestigious award for its role as a collaborative think tank that advances innovative engineering solutions that work in harmony with nature—and helps move those solutions from concept to implementation through real-world dredging and beneficial use projects. SMIIL serves as a model for integrated coastal restoration and adaptation, educating scientists, practitioners and stakeholders about benefits such as enhanced coastal access and nature-based solutions, including living shorelines and habitat restoration.
SMIIL is a partnership among co-founders the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (both the Philadelphia District and the Engineer Research and Development Center); The Wetlands Institute (TWI) of Middle Township, New Jersey; and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
“We’re very proud of this accomplishment, as Dr. Wiegel pioneered many of the concepts that inform our practices in coastal engineering today,” said USACE Philadelphia District Project Manager Monica Chasten. “With SMIIL, we’ve been successful in improving safe navigation across miles of the Intracoastal Waterway while advancing the beneficial use of dredged sediment to enhance marsh and build system resilience. And we’ve worked to share this knowledge across many of our partnerships working in the coastal zone.”
“We are pleased to receive this award, which recognizes the ground-breaking work that has been accomplished through strong partnerships founded in strong science, engineering, and policy,” said TWI Executive Director Dr. Lenore Tedesco. “Our work as a collaborative think tank promotes engineering solutions that work in harmony with nature. Together we’re advancing dredging and marsh restoration techniques through innovative research, collaboration, and practical application. We’re making a difference for our marsh and the communities that rely on it and informing broader coastal restoration efforts.”
More than 30 scientists work in SMIIL. Since its founding in 2019, the Innovation Lab has completed 10 projects, resulting in the restoration of more than 100 acres of wetlands. Significant achievements of SMIIL partners include establishing a working group of more than 50 members. They’ve successfully collaborated to provide solutions and acceptability for beneficial use projects throughout the country.
“The Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab has revolutionized the use of coastal dredging sediments to restore eroding salt marshes and protect vulnerable communities,” said ASBPA Executive Director Nicole Elko, Ph.D. “It serves as a model for integrated coastal restoration and adaptation, educating about benefits of enhanced coastal access and nature-based solutions, including living shorelines and habitat restoration.”
