Living seawall creates a space for nature along the coastline of Plymouth Sound
A series of specially-designed concrete panels have been installed to make new habitats
Last updated 1st Sep 2023
Plymouth is now home to a living seawall after organisations across the world united in an attempt to enhance biodiversity along its waterfront.
A series of specially-designed concrete panels have been installed on the edge of the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park to make new habitats available to a variety of marine flora and fauna - including seagrass from Cornwall.
The panels, developed as a result of extensive scientific research, have been fixed to the seawall close to the Mayflower Steps memorial.
They cover an area spanning 12 metres by two metres, and will be monitored over the coming months to assess any different species of flora and fauna which have taken up residence.
The hope is that they could become home to limpets, barnacles, anemones, seaweeds, sponges and other species commonly found in natural habitats along the South West coastline.
The Living Seawall in Plymouth installation is the largest of its kind in the UK to date.
Dr Louise Firth, Associate Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Plymouth, has worked on marine eco-engineering initiatives across the world for more than two decades and is leading the new project:
"We have been investigating how to enhance biodiversity on seawalls locally for years. These efforts have all been conducted at small, experimental scales but the Living Seawall in Plymouth is the first large, real-world-scale installation in Britain.
"We are very excited to work with the global community to build the evidence about the ecological benefits for both new and existing artificial structures."
The Living Seawalls initiative was first launched in Sydney, Australia, in an attempt to preserve habitats along the global coastline.
Rising populations have resulted in structures such as seawalls, pilings, pontoons and marinas replacing natural habitats such as saltmarshes, beaches, mudflats and rocky shores and their associated marine life.
Research in Sydney Harbour has shown that after two years Living Seawalls already support at least 36% more species than plain, unmodified seawalls, with as many as 85 species of invertebrates, seaweeds and fish living and growing on the panels.
Professor Melanie Bishop, Co-founder of Living Seawalls, said: "Built structures are a growing source of biodiversity loss in our harbours and coastal oceans. Living Seawalls provide a solution for returning marine life to marine constructions across the globe.
"We are excited to partner with the University of Plymouth on the most comprehensive trial of Living Seawalls technology in the UK yet."
The project is being led by the University of Plymouth working alongside partners including Living Seawalls, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Plymouth City Council, Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum, Our Only World, The Rock Pool Project, Arup, Swansea University, and Ocean Conservation Trust.
The project is also being supported with funding from the University of Plymouth, Our Only World, Plymouth City Council, Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum, Cattewater Harbour Commissioners, and Associated British Ports (ABP).
Elsewhere, partners from the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Seagrass Project are installing the first of six seagrass information boards in Plymouth today.
They're designed to help recreational boaters protect underwater habitats like seagrass.
LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES is a £2.5 million four-year project to protect and restore fragile marine habitats within five Special Areas of Conservation in southern England.
Its restoration work involves collecting and cultivating seagrass seed and replanting it in the seabed – a first for England at this scale.
The project also works with recreational users and harbour authorities to protect existing areas of seagrass by installing mooring methods that are less damaging to delicate underwater habitats and introducing voluntary no-anchor zones that help boaters keep off the seagrass.
ReMEDIES is funded by the EU LIFE programme and led by Natural England in partnership with Marine Conservation Society, Ocean Conservation Trust, Plymouth City Council/Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum and Royal Yachting Association.