Developing a business case for greening hard coastal and estuarine infrastructure: preliminary results

Naylor, Larissa A.; Coombes, Martin A.; Kippen, Hugh; Horton, Bruce; Gardiner, Tim; Collell, Marta Roca; Simm, Jonathan; Underwood, Graham J. C.

doi:10.1680/cmsb.63174.0801

Cited by 9 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Environmental managers, designers and engineers tasked with developing new infrastructure or retrofitting existing structures to increase structural complexity for biodiversity enhancement face a challenge. They must balance the usual considerations of cost, engineering and social and environmental impact assessment, while also building-in space in their design envelope for habitat provision [ 71 ]. With this balancing act becoming increasingly complex, incorporation of multiscale structural complexity and environmentally sensitive design may be vital for meeting biodiversity targets in the coastal environment [ 37 , 72 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our results indicate that interventions at these scales can improve the provision of structural complexity on artificial structures, particularly on seawalls where complexity at these scales was consistently deficient. Such interventions are not thought to impact structural integrity [ 71 ]. Furthermore, flume experiments have shown that adding topographical complexity to plain seawalls to mimic bolt-on designs can reduce wave overtopping, thus improving their engineering function [ 77 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Artificial shorelines lack natural structural complexity across scales

et al. 2021

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From microbes to humans, habitat structural complexity plays a direct role in the provision of physical living space, and increased complexity supports higher biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across biomes. Coastal development and the construction of artificial shorelines are altering natural landscapes as humans seek socio-economic benefits and protection from coastal storms, flooding and erosion. In this study, we evaluate how much structural complexity is missing on artificial coastal structures compared to natural rocky shorelines, across a range of spatial scales from 1 mm to 10 s of m, using three remote sensing platforms (handheld camera, terrestrial laser scanner and uncrewed aerial vehicles). Natural shorelines were typically more structurally complex than artificial ones and offered greater variation between locations. However, our results varied depending on the type of artificial structure and the scale at which complexity was measured. Seawalls were deficient at all scales (approx. 20–40% less complex than natural shores), whereas rock armour was deficient at the smallest and largest scales (approx. 20–50%). Our findings reinforce concerns that hardening shorelines with artificial structures simplifies coastlines at organism-relevant scales. Furthermore, we offer much-needed insight into how structures might be modified to more closely capture the complexity of natural rocky shores that support biodiversity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial shorelines lack natural structural complexity across scales

et al. 2021

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“…A number of valuation tools have been developed to quantify the benefits of biodiversity and green infrastructure (summarised in Natural England, 2013). These ideas have very recently been applied to artificial coastal and marine structures (Naylor et al, 2018). It was suggested by stakeholders in the UK that there may be opportunities to attract partnership funding to pay for interventions, if beneficiaries of enhancement outcomes could be identified (Evans et al, 2017; see also the 'Payment for Ecosystem Services' (PES) approach described by Forest Trends and The Katoomba Group, 2010) ( Figure 2: Step 2.1).…”

Section: Barriers and Strategy Towards Blue-green Infrastructure In Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

From ocean sprawl to blue-green infrastructure – A UK perspective on an issue of global significance

Evans

Firth

Hawkins

et al. 2019

Environmental Science & Policy

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Artificial structures are proliferating in the marine environment, resulting in 'ocean sprawl'. In light of the potential environmental impacts of this, such as habitat loss and alteration, it is becoming increasingly important to incorporate ecologically-sensitive design into artificial marine structures. The principles of eco-engineering and green infrastructure are embedded in urban planning practice for terrestrial and freshwater development projects. In marine planning, however, eco-engineering of blue-green infrastructure remains an emerging concept. This note provides a UK perspective on the progress towards uptake of eco-engineering approaches for enhancing biodiversity on artificial marine structures. We emphasise that, despite a clear 'policy pull' to incorporate biodiversity enhancements in marine structures, a range of proof-of-concept evidence that it is possible to achieve, and strong cross-sectoral stakeholder support, there are still few examples of truly and purposefully-designed blue-green artificial structures in the UK. We discuss the barriers that remain and propose a strategy towards effective implementation. Our strategy outlines a step-wise approach to: (1) strengthening the evidence base for what enhancements can be achieved in different scenarios; (2) improving clarity on the predicted benefits and associated costs of enhancements; (3) packaging the evidence in a useful form to support planning and decision-making; and (4) encouraging implementation as routine practice. Given that ocean sprawl is a growing problem globally, the perspective presented here provides valuable insight and lessons for other nations at their various states of progress towards this same goal.

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“…Recent research has focused on the introduction to existing coastal infrastructures of artificial, water-filled features to enhance the ecological well-being of these structures. A common element of these features, regardless of whether they are "additive" (as in the case of bolt-on rock pools (Morris et al, 2017;Naylor et al, , 2018Strain et al, 2017;Hall et al, 2019;Figures 1A,B), or "textured concrete" or "textured surface" tiles (Perkol-Finkel and Sella, 2015;MacArthur et al, 2018; Figure 1C) on sea defences) or "subtractive" (as in the case of "drill-cored rock pools" in intertidal breakwaters (Browne and Chapman, 2014;Firth et al, 2014a,b;Evans et al, 2016;Hall et al, 2018;Waltham and Sheaves, 2020; Figure 1D), is that they serve to increase the topographic complexity and the surface roughness of the structures to which they are added.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eco-Engineering of Seawalls—An Opportunity for Enhanced Climate Resilience From Increased Topographic Complexity

et al. 2021

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In the context of “green” approaches to coastal engineering, the term “eco-engineering” has emerged in recent years to describe the incorporation of ecological concepts (including artificially water-filled depressions and surface textured tiles on seawalls and drilled holes in sea structures) into the conventional design process for marine infrastructures. Limited studies have evaluated the potential increase in wave energy dissipation resulting from the increased hydraulic roughness of ecologically modified sea defences which could reduce wave overtopping and consequent coastal flood risks, while increasing biodiversity. This paper presents results of small-scale laboratory investigations of wave overtopping on artificially roughened seawalls. Impulsive and non-impulsive wave conditions with two deep-water wave steepness values (=0.015 and 0.06) are evaluated to simulate both swell and storm conditions in a two-dimensional wave flume with an impermeable 1:20 foreshore slope. Measurements from a plain vertical seawall are taken as the reference case. The seawall was subsequently modified to include 10 further test configurations where hydraulic effects, reflective of “eco-engineering” interventions, were simulated by progressively increasing seawall roughness with surface protrusions across three length scales and three surface densities. Measurements at the plain vertical seawall compared favorably to empirical predictions from the EurOtop II Design Manual and served as a validation of the experimental approach. Results from physical model experiments showed that increasing the length and/or density of surface protrusions reduced overtopping on seawalls. Benchmarking of test results from experiments with modified seawalls to reference conditions showed that the mean overtopping rate was reduced by up to 100% (test case where protrusion density and length were maximum) under impulsive wave conditions. Results of this study highlight the potential for eco-engineering interventions on seawalls to mitigate extreme wave overtopping hazards by dissipating additional wave energy through increased surface roughness on the structure.

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Developing a business case for greening hard coastal and estuarine infrastructure: preliminary results

Cited by 9 publications

References 13 publications

Artificial shorelines lack natural structural complexity across scales

Artificial shorelines lack natural structural complexity across scales

From ocean sprawl to blue-green infrastructure – A UK perspective on an issue of global significance

Eco-Engineering of Seawalls—An Opportunity for Enhanced Climate Resilience From Increased Topographic Complexity

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