Scientists have installed more than 1,000 specifically designed panels onto existing seawalls in Sydney Harbour to mimic habitats for kelp and crustaceans.
Mariana Mayer Pinto, Marine Scientist at the University of New South Wales says that over 90 species have colonised the panels – 30-40% more species than on unmodified parts of the seawalls.
The 3D printed panels have been engineered to last at least 20 years. They have also installed in Wales, Gibraltar and Singapore.
As climate change and rising sea levels see more and more seawall defences being built around the world these panels can help reverse the biodiversity decline that these defensive constructions bring.
This Living Seawalls project developed by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science is a finalist in Prince William’s £50 million Earthshot Prize.