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Ecological Enhancement of Coastal and Marine
Infrastructures: An Overview
Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, PhD Ido Sella, MSc
February 2012
Seminar outline:
Overview - Impacts of coastal development on the marine environment
Current strategies of mitigation around the globe
Urban Marine Environment
Case studies
Coastal waters support the richest most divers ecosystems
Photo: Jonathan Wilker, Purdue University Photo: Tim Laman naturallykim.com
Earth at night:
Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC), NOAA/ NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive
Coastal zones occupy less than 15% of Earth's land surface but they house
more than 60% of the world's population
Over 22,000 km2 of European coastlines are “artificialized”
Coastal populations and shoreline degradation
Natural coastlines replaced by Coastal & Marine Infrastructures
Transportation
Energy
Industry
Urbanization
Marine Pollution
• Marine sources (vessels, platforms)
• Terrestrial sources (sewage, runoff, solid waste)
• Urban marine structures as waste traps
Ashdod Port, Israel
Environmental Impacts of coastal development
Changes to natural coastlines
Change of sediment pathways (sand traps)
Erosion of adjacent areas
Reduced accessibility (humans & animals)
Google Earth
Environmental Impacts of coastal development
flickr.com/photos/bluesquarething Deltares .com Photo: Pete Leary
Sea Grant www.daff.gov.au
Invasive Species
Environmental Impacts of coastal development
Main vectors:
Ballast water
Biofouling
Aquaculture
Impacts:
Changes in species assemblages
Habitat modification
Nuisance
Pests
Financial cost
Wiki.org
Dreissena polymorpha
Environmental Impacts of coastal development
Habitat loss
Harlem swamp Pre settlement
Harlem 1820 Harlem 2010
Problem:
Coastal infrastructures create severe stress on natural ecosystems
Habitat loss Reduced biodiversity Invasive species
Coastal Challenge:
Bridging Development and Sustainability
Solution:
Decreasing the ecological footprint of
coastal & marine infrastructures
• Environmental Compensation
• Ecological Engineering
• Sustainable Management of Urban Marine Structures
•
Ecological active infrastructures
Strategies for decreasing the ecological footprint of
coastal & marine infrastructures:
Webblogs.pbspaces.com
Example: Restoration of a kelp forest lost due to power plant activity Wheeler North Reef - A Kelp Mitigation Artificial Reef
Turbid
Plume
Elwany, Grove, Eaker, & Tennant, 9th CARAH, Brazil
Stage 1 0.09 km-2
Stage 2 0.61 km-2
Environmental Compensation
Combining science, design, and engineering for creating sustainable ecosystems
that integrate human society with its natural environment for the benefit of both (Mitsch 96)
Advantages:
• Coastal defense
• Ecosystem services
• Creation of natural habitats
• Accessibility
Living shorelines Hybrid structures
Ecological Engineering
Shoreline Design LLC http://www.wetlands.org
MarUrbe (EU – FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF-219818)
Objectives:
Exploring the link between structure and
ecological functioning of UMS: Impacts of
coastal defense structures on infaunal communities
Providing guidelines for improved management
of benthic assemblages on UMS: Monitoring spread
of invasive species
Using UMS as a scaffold for conservation and
enhancement efforts: Enhancing species with
conservation value (i.e. Cystoseira spp.)
50
km
> 100 km breakwaters
> 60 km seawalls
> 40 km of jetties
Sustainable management of urban marine structures
Using urban marine structures for enhancing species with
conservation value
Canopy forming algae - Cystoseira barbata
Successful transplantation of juveniles onto coastal defense structures
Increased survival in sheltered areas
Increased growth on man-made structures
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Jul. 08 Sep. 08 Oct. 08 Feb. 09
Siz
e (
cm
) of
juv
en
iles
Natural
Transplanted
Perkol-Finkel et. al., 2010
Using urban marine structures for enhancing species with
conservation value
Canopy forming algae - Cystoseira barbata
Successful transplantation of juveniles onto coastal defense structures
Increased survival in sheltered areas
Increased growth on man-made structures
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Jul. 08 Sep. 08 Oct. 08 Feb. 09
Siz
e (
cm
) of
juv
en
iles
Natural
Transplanted
Perkol-Finkel et. al., 2010
Is it time for urban ecology to include the marine realm? Bulleri 2006
Rural Urban
http://blogs.e-rockford.com
?
Urban Marine Environments - Cities do not end at the waterline…
Urban marine environments are an integral part of urban nature
BUT…
Coastal and marine infrastructures do not function as natural habitats
Harnessing urban marine structures for biological and ecological
purposes without compromising their original function
Changing the way our future waterfronts look and function
Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Ecological Design??? Main problems with current coastal & marine infrastructures:
Design & Material:
Vertical relief
Low complexity
Homogeneity
Surface chemistry
Tropical reef environment - Red Sea
Harnessing an active jetty for enhancement of corals, filter feeders & fish
Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Tropical reef environment - Red Sea
Harnessing an active jetty for enhancement of corals, filter feeders & fish
Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Designing the Edge Harlem River, USA Marcha Johnson, NYC Parks Department
Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Seattle Waterfront
Jason Toft & JC Field Operations
“A mosaic of sloped surfaces and textures integrated into seawall designs may provide benefits to
the largest range of algae and invertebrates, increasing taxa richness, and food web resilience”
(Goff, 2010)
Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Increasing biodiversity with no reduction to structural integrity
Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Ecological Design??? Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Deltares .com Deltares .com
Deltares Research Inst. Netherlands
Complexity and design of concrete elements
Deltares .com
Ecological Design??? Environmentally Active Infrastructures
UK
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/coastaldefencesbiodiversity/
Ecological Design??? Environmentally Active Infrastructures
Canada
Vancouver Convention Center – Intertidal habitat
skirt-habitat-s-centre-convention-vancouver-the-of-site/construction-job-the-site/from-http://buildipedia.com/on
VCCEP
WorleyParsons Canada Ltd. WorleyParsons Canada Ltd.
Why concrete ?
Versatile
Mouldable
Strength and Durability: 40-70 MPa, can reach >1000 y product life
2300 kilo for 1m3
Hardens under water
Low maintenance
Affordable
70% of coastal infrastructures worldwide are made of concrete
Chloride ions attack the aggregate/cement matrix: Corrosion of rebar
Temperature changes/freezing in the intertidal zone: Micro fracture and scaling
Capillary suction
Biodeterioration (certain species of Barnacles, Ulva....)
Challenges of Concrete Coastal Infrastructures
Jayakumar and Saravanane 2010
Poor substrate for biological recruitment:
Alkalinity
Toxicity
Smoothness
Commonly associated with nuisance and invasive species
Biology and Concrete
20 y old sinker in a coral reef environment Seawall with invasive zebra mussel
www.flickr.com/photos/chriss
Composition
Surface texture
Macro-design
The Next Step: Ecologically Active Construction Elements
www.stripes.com
Supporting biological productivity and ecological efficiency while
complying with requirements of standard marine construction
img8.imageshack.us
Enhanced biogenic build-up
Advantages of Ecologically Active Construction Elements
Structural advantages: Bioprotection
• Strength and durability
• Reduced corrosion
• Absorption of wave energy
• Reduce maintenance
Biological advantages:
• Biological niches
• Ecosystem services
• Water quality (filter feeders)
• Reduce ratio between NIS/native species
• Esthetics
exeter.ac.uk/bioprotection/
Surface texture
The Next Step: Ecologically Active Construction Elements
Coombes 2011
Settlement of Bugula neritina on various concrete matrices
0
5
10
15
20
25
M1 M2 M3 M4 Portland
Cement
% S
ett
lem
en
t
P< 0.01
Concrete Composition
The Next Step: Ecologically Active Construction Elements
Riprap Habitats in the Med Sea
Texture, Design & Composition
In collaboration with:
Alpenashipwrecktours.com
lostreefadventures.com Google earth
Atlantic Ocean
Mediterranean sea
Red sea
Great lakes
Assessing ECOncreteTM matrices in different marine environments
Mechanical testing - Field examination - Lab experiments
Assessing ECOncreteTM matrices in different marine environments
Ecological Armor Units
Active Seawall
Riprap Habitats
Making coastal infrastructures biologically and ecologically active without
compromising their original function
Photo: Coastalines of Israel, Abramovich & Shmueli, 2008
ECOncreteTM Ecological Armor Units
ECOncreteTM Active Seawalls
ECOncreteTM Riprap Habitats
Any infrastructure both new and existing can be enhanced
Transportation Industry Urbanization Tourism
Modular pre-cast units
Applicable world-wide especially in light of:
Global warming Sea level rise Increased storminess
Versatility, scalability & applicability
Biologically active ECOncreteTM wall, Eco-Tower, Tel-Aviv, Israel 2011
Ecological Design??? Growing Awareness
Atlas of Possibility for the Future of New York SeArc & dlandStudio
Scientists, engineers, landscape architects and policy makers need to work together from conception to construction and monitoring
Enhancement of existing infrastructures using “add-ons”
Proper design of new infrastructures: Material, Texture, Complexity
Further research: from material to biology
Promote legislation (“LEED” in the sea)
Summary: Ecologically Active Infrastructures
