Benthic community establishment on different concrete mixtures introduced to a German deep-water port

Published source details Becker L.R., Kröncke I., Ehrenberg A., Feldrappe V. & Bischof K. (2021) Benthic community establishment on different concrete mixtures introduced to a German deep-water port. Helgoland Marine Research, 75, 1-12.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use environmentally-sensitive material on subtidal artificial structures Action Link

Use environmentally-sensitive material on subtidal artificial structures

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2017–2018 in Jade Weser Port in the North Sea, Germany (Becker et al. 2021) found that using blast-furnace-cement in place of standard Portland-cement and varying the aggregates in concrete settlement blocks did not alter the community composition of macroalgae, microalgae and non-mobile invertebrates on blocks. After 12 months, the community composition of macroalgae, microalgae and non-mobile invertebrates was similar on blast-furnace-cement concrete and standard-concrete blocks regardless of their aggregate composition (data reported as statistical model results). Concrete settlement blocks (150 × 150 × 150 mm) were moulded with blast-furnace cement or standard Portland-cement. There were four blast-furnace-cement concretes with varying aggregate mixes (sand, gravel, metallic slags; see paper for details) and one standard-concrete mix with sand and gravel aggregate. Three blocks of each blast-furnace-cement mix and three standard-concrete blocks were randomly arranged on frames suspended beneath floating pontoons at 1.5 m depth in April 2017. Macroalgae, microalgae and non-mobile invertebrates on top horizontal and both vertical block surfaces were counted in the laboratory after 12 months.

(Summarised by: Ally Evans)