Sydney Institute of Marine Science

Living Seawalls is the winner of the Biodiversity Award at both the 2021 NSW Sustainability Awards and the 33rd Banksia Sustainability Awards. Visit the Banksia website at banksiafdn.com for more information about our Awards Programs. To find out more visit livingseawalls.com.au/

Living Seawalls Bring Marine Developments Back To Life

Through innovative design that combines ecological and engineering know-how, a team at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science and Reef Design Lab is reviving marine life on concrete coastlines globally.

Structures such as seawalls, pilings, and pontoons are built in growing numbers for shoreline protection, recreational activities, energy generation and to facilitate communications. These structures destroy and replace natural habitats, and can modify the surrounding sea-floor, often with negative consequences for biodiversity and the ecosystem services, on which humans rely, such as maintenance of clean water and fisheries production.

Based on 20 years of scientific research, the team have developed Living Seawalls -- a modular system by which critical habitats for marine life can be added to marine constructions.

Panels, mimicking the habitat features of natural shoreline ecosystems are fitted in scalable mosaics to marine built structures.

The complex panel surfaces increase the habitat area available for colonisation and growth of seaweeds, shellfish and other marine life. They also add protection to marine life from high temperatures and predators. Critically, Living Seawalls panels can be incorporated into new structures, as well as retrofitted into the many existing structures in our harbours, coastlines and oceans.

Since 2018, the team has partnered with Volvo Cars Australia and five Local Governments to install Living Seawalls panels on ten seawalls in Sydney. Additionally, in collaboration with Lendlease they created an underwater garden at Barangaroo. Living Seawalls have also been installed in three other major Australian cities, and internationally in Singapore, Gibraltar and Wales.

The accompanying scientific research program has demonstrated that Living Seawalls enhance seaweeds, fish and invertebrates, such as crabs, oysters and mussels after as little as one year.

Living Seawalls provides a solution to ensure marine structures are created, repaired or rebuilt to benefit both humans and nature.

The research has also found that the benefits of the panels can extend to enhanced water filtration – and hence cleaning – to fish communities and minimising the establishment of pest species.

The team has developed frameworks for ecologically enhancing marine infrastructure that are being implemented by the multinational company Lendlease and used by the NSW Government to plan major urban renewal projects, such as the Sydney Fish Markets.

Marine construction is inevitable if we are to provide energy, food, telecommunications, and coastal protection to the growing human population.

Living Seawalls have been featured in government guidance documents such as Fish Friendly Infrastructure and breakwater upgrades. Living Seawalls have been the focus of over 20 local and national print, TV and radio news stories since the first installation in 2018.

The project has generated local, national and international awareness of eco-friendly construction through public seminars and outreach events, stakeholder workshops, as well as through social media.

Living Seawalls has been featured in Landscape Architecture Australia (2020), Sustainability Mag Luxembourg (2020), and in seven national and international exhibitions, including at leading design museums of Europe and America. Living Seawalls was also a finalist for the 2021 Earthshot Prize.