Blue is the new green – ecological enhancement of concrete based coastal and marine infrastructure

Published source details Sella I. & Perkol-Finkel S. (2015) Blue is the new green – ecological enhancement of concrete based coastal and marine infrastructure. Ecological Engineering, 84, 260-272.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Create hole habitats (>50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link
	Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link
	Create groove habitats (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures Action Link
	Use environmentally-sensitive material on subtidal artificial structures Action Link

Create hole habitats (>50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures

A replicated, controlled study in 2012–2014 on two subtidal breakwaters on open coastline in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel (Sella & Perkol-Finkel 2015) found that hole habitats created on breakwater blocks, along with pits, grooves and environmentally-sensitive material, supported different macroalgae and invertebrate community composition with higher species diversity than standard-concrete blocks without added habitats, while macroalgae, invertebrate and fish abundances varied depending on the species group. After 24 months, the macroalgae and invertebrate species diversity was higher on blocks with added habitats than without (data reported as Shannon index) and the community composition differed (data reported as statistical model results). Thirty species (7 mobile invertebrates, 14 non-mobile invertebrates, 9 fishes) recorded on and around blocks with added habitats were absent from blocks without. Species abundances varied on blocks with and without added habitats depending on the species group (see paper for results). It is not clear whether these effects were the direct result of creating holes, pits, grooves, or using environmentally-sensitive material. Hole habitats were created on breakwater blocks (1 × 1 × 1 m) using a formliner. Each block had multiple cube-shaped (60 × 60 × 60 mm), cylindrical (diameter: 30 mm; depth: 100 mm) and hemispherical (diameter: 150 mm; depth: 100 mm) holes (T. Hadary pers. comms.) amongst multiple pits and grooves (number/spacing not reported). Five blocks of each of three patented ECOncrete^TM materials (lower pH and different cement/additives to standard-concrete) were placed at 5–7 m depth on a concrete-block breakwater during construction in July 2012. Five standard-concrete blocks (1.7 × 1.7 × 1.7 m) without added habitats were placed on a similar breakwater 80 m away. Macroalgae and invertebrates on blocks, and fishes on and around blocks, were counted over 24 months.

(Summarised by: Ally Evans)
Create pit habitats (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures

A replicated, controlled study in 2012–2014 on two subtidal breakwaters on open coastline in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel (Sella & Perkol-Finkel 2015) found that pit habitats created on breakwater blocks, along with holes, grooves and environmentally-sensitive material, supported different macroalgae and invertebrate community composition with higher species diversity than standard-concrete blocks without added habitats, while macroalgae, invertebrate and fish abundances varied depending on the species group. After 24 months, the macroalgae and invertebrate species diversity was higher on blocks with added habitats than without (data reported as Shannon index) and the community composition differed (data reported as statistical model results). Thirty species (7 mobile invertebrates, 14 non-mobile invertebrates, 9 fishes) recorded on and around blocks with added habitats were absent from blocks without. Species abundances varied on blocks with and without added habitats depending on the species group (see paper for results). It is not clear whether these effects were the direct result of creating pits, holes, grooves, or using environmentally-sensitive material. Pit habitats were created on breakwater blocks (1 × 1 × 1 m) using a formliner. Each block had multiple round pits (diameter: 10 mm; depth: 5 mm; T. Hadary pers. comms.) amongst multiple holes and grooves (number/spacing not reported). Five blocks of each of three patented ECOncrete^TM materials (lower pH and different cement/additives to standard-concrete) were placed at 5–7 m depth on a concrete-block breakwater during construction in July 2012. Five standard-concrete blocks (1.7 × 1.7 × 1.7 m) without added habitats were placed on a similar breakwater 80 m away. Macroalgae and invertebrates on blocks, and fishes on and around blocks, were counted over 24 months.

(Summarised by: Ally Evans)
Create groove habitats (1–50 mm) on subtidal artificial structures

A replicated, controlled study in 2012–2014 on two subtidal breakwaters on open coastline in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel (Sella & Perkol-Finkel 2015) found that groove habitats created on breakwater blocks, along with holes, pits and environmentally-sensitive material, supported different macroalgae and invertebrate community composition with higher species diversity than standard-concrete blocks without added habitats, while macroalgae, invertebrate and fish abundances varied depending on the species group. After 24 months, the macroalgae and invertebrate species diversity was higher on blocks with added habitats than without (data reported as Shannon index) and the community composition differed (data reported as statistical model results). Thirty species (7 mobile invertebrates, 14 non-mobile invertebrates, 9 fishes) recorded on and around blocks with added habitats were absent from blocks without. Species abundances varied on blocks with and without added habitats depending on the species group (see paper for results). It is not clear whether these effects were the direct result of creating grooves, holes, pits, or using environmentally-sensitive material. Groove habitats were created on breakwater blocks (1 × 1 × 1 m) using a formliner. Each block had multiple irregular grooves (length: 100–600 mm; width: 5–15 mm; depth: 10 mm; T. Hadary pers. comms.) amongst multiple holes and pits (number/spacing not reported). Five blocks of each of three patented ECOncrete^TM materials (lower pH and different cement/additives to standard-concrete) were placed at 5–7 m depth on a concrete-block breakwater during construction in July 2012. Five standard-concrete blocks (1.7 × 1.7 × 1.7 m) without added habitats were placed on a similar breakwater 80 m away. Macroalgae and invertebrates on blocks, and fishes on and around blocks, were counted over 24 months.

(Summarised by: Ally Evans)
Use environmentally-sensitive material on subtidal artificial structures

A replicated, controlled study in 2012–2014 on two subtidal breakwaters on open coastline in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel (Sella & Perkol-Finkel 2015) found that breakwater blocks made from ECOncrete^TM, along with pits, grooves and holes created on them, supported different macroalgae and invertebrate community composition with higher species diversity than standard-concrete blocks without added habitats, while macroalgae, invertebrate and fish abundances varied depending on the species group. After 24 months, the macroalgae and invertebrate species diversity was higher on ECOncrete^TM blocks with added habitats than standard-concrete blocks without (data reported as Shannon index) and the community composition differed (data reported as statistical model results). Thirty species (7 mobile invertebrates, 14 non-mobile invertebrates, 9 fishes) recorded on and around ECOncrete^TM blocks were absent from standard blocks. Species abundances varied on materials depending on the species group (see paper for results). It is not clear whether these effects were the direct result of using environmentally-sensitive material or creating grooves, pits and/or holes. Breakwater blocks (1 × 1 × 1 m) were made from three patented ECOncrete^TM materials (lower pH and different cement/additives to standard concrete) using a formliner. Five of each were placed at 5–7 m depth on a concrete-block breakwater during construction in July 2012. Blocks had multiple grooves, pits and holes. Five standard-concrete blocks (1.7 × 1.7 × 1.7 m) without added habitats were placed on a similar breakwater 80 m away. Macroalgae and invertebrates on blocks, and fishes on and around blocks, were counted over 24 months.

(Summarised by: Ally Evans)