Study

Shelving the coast with Vertipools: retrofitting artificial rock pools on coastal structures as mitigation for coastal squeeze

  • Published source details Hall A.E., Herbert R.J.H., Britton J.R., Boyd I.M. & George N.C. (2019) Shelving the coast with Vertipools: retrofitting artificial rock pools on coastal structures as mitigation for coastal squeeze. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 456.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Create 'rock pools' on intertidal artificial structures

Action Link
Biodiversity of Marine Artificial Structures
  1. Create 'rock pools' on intertidal artificial structures

    A replicated, controlled study in 2013–2018 on an intertidal seawall in the Solent strait, UK (Hall et al. 2019) found that rock pools created on the seawall supported higher macroalgae, invertebrate and fish species richness than seawall surfaces without pools. After five years, macroalgae, invertebrate and fish species richness was higher in and on pools (10 species/pool) than on seawall surfaces without (7/surface). Fourteen species (6 macroalgae, 6 mobile invertebrates, 1 fish) recorded in pools over five years were absent from seawall surfaces without. Rock pools were created in September 2013 by attaching concrete pots (VertipoolsTM) to a vertical concrete seawall. Five triangular VertipoolsTM (length: 800 mm; width: 300 mm; depth: 10–200 mm; volume: 10 l) were attached at mid-highshore. Pools were compared with five seawall surfaces with surface areas matching the inside and outside pool surfaces (500 × 500 mm). Macroalgae, invertebrates and fishes were counted during low tide in and on pools (averaged over inside and outside surfaces) on 10 occasions and on seawall surfaces on four occasions over five years.

    (Summarised by: Ally Evans)

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