Plymouth — A World Harbour through the ages

Knights, Antony M.; Firth, Louise B.; Thompson, Richard C.; Yunnie, Anna L. E.; Hiscock, Keith; Hawkins, Stephen J.

doi:10.1016/j.rsma.2016.02.002

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…5). At a larger scale, seawall design and location can affect benthic colonisation (Jackson 2014). For instance, slope differences can affect the susceptibility of seawalls to extreme surface temperatures, with sloping seawalls absorbing more solar radiation compared to vertical ones (Zhao et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Little evidence that lowering the pH of concrete supports greater biodiversity on tropical and temperate seawalls

Hsiung

Tan

Loke

et al. 2020

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Concrete is one of the most commonly used materials in the construction of coastal and marine infrastructure despite the well known environmental impacts which include a high carbon footprint and high alkalinity (~pH 13). There is an ongoing discussion regarding the potential positive effects of lowered concrete pH on benthic biodiversity, but this has not been investigated rigorously. Here, we designed a manipulative field experiment to test whether carbonated (lowered pH) concrete substrates support greater species richness and abundance, and/or alter community composition, in both temperate and tropical intertidal habitats. We constructed 192 experimental concrete tiles, half of which were carbonated to a lower surface pH of 7-8 (vs. control pH of >9), and affixed them to seawalls in the United Kingdom and Singapore. There were 2 sites per country, and 6 replicate tiles of each treatment were collected at 4 time points over a year. Overall, we found no significant effect of lowered pH on the abundance, richness, or community assemblage in both countries. Separate site- and month-specific generalised linear models (GLMs) showed only sporadic effects: i.e. lowered pH tiles had a small positive effect on early benthic colonisation in the tropics but this was later succeeded by similar species assemblages regardless of treatment. Thus, while it is worth considering the modification of concrete from an environmental/emissions standpoint, lowered pH may not be a suitable technique for enhancing biodiversity in the marine built environment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Little evidence that lowering the pH of concrete supports greater biodiversity on tropical and temperate seawalls

Hsiung

Tan

Loke

et al. 2020

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Vulnerable, degraded and culturally valuable artificial structures on which manipulations are not permitted Some artificial structures are degraded or have cultural or heritage value, which can make it challenging to obtain permissions for retrofitting eco-engineering interventions, especially interventions that involve drilling or attaching heavy materials. For example, Plymouth Breakwater, built between 1812 and 1841, is a 1.6 km long structure (Southward and Orton 1954;Hawkins et al 1983) that is considered a historic monument (Knights et al 2016) and that is not permitted to be manipulated. As the original structure has become undermined over the years, sacrificial concrete wave-breaker blocks (100 t) are systematically placed on the seaward side of the breakwater as an additional form of protection from wave action.…”

Section: Vertical and Sloping Seawalls (Supplementary Information Tabmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design catalogue for eco-engineering of coastal artificial structures: a multifunctional approach for stakeholders and end-users

et al. 2019

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Coastal urbanisation, energy extraction, food production, shipping and transportation have led to the global proliferation of artificial structures within the coastal and marine environments (sensu "ocean sprawl"), with subsequent loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. To mitigate and compensate impacts of ocean sprawl, the practice of ecoengineering of artificial structures has been developed over the past decade. Eco-engineering aims to create sustainable ecosystems that integrate human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both. The science of eco-engineering has grown markedly, yet synthesis of research into a user-friendly and practitioner-focused format is lacking. Feedback from stakeholders has repeatedly stated that a "photo user guide" or "manual" covering the range of eco-engineering options available for artificial structures would be beneficial. However, a detailed and structured "user guide" for eco-engineering in coastal and marine environments is not yet possible; therefore we present an accessible review and catalogue of trialled eco-engineering options and a summary of guidance for a range of different structures tailored for stakeholders and end-users as the first step towards a structured manual. This work can thus serve as a potential template for future eco-engineering guides. Here we provide suggestions for potential eco-engineering designs to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and services of coastal artificial structures with the following structures covered: (1) rock revetment, breakwaters and groynes composed of armour stones or concrete units; (2) vertical and sloping seawalls; (3) over-water structures (i.e., piers) and associated support structures; and (4) tidal river walls.

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“…The study was carried out at Mount Batten, Plymouth, UK (Figure 1) between September and December 2014. Mount Batten is a headland of limestone protruding into Plymouth Sound (see Knights et al ., 2016 for description of the area). Two sites on the shore were identified and defined as limestone rock surfaces of similar aspect, gradient, tidal exposure and orientation (~ south-west facing; see Figure 1 and for more information) where Semibalanus balanoides and Chthamalus montagui are locally abundant and coexist in the mid-shore.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting Connell: competition but not as we know it

Knights

Gordon

2017

J. Mar. Biol. Ass.

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Space is one of the primary limiting resources for organisms on the intertidal rocky shore. This paper examined the effect of reduced density on key traits (mortality and growth) on the intertidal barnacles, Chthamalus montagui and Semibalanus balanoides, on the mid-shore in Plymouth, UK. Intra- and interspecific treatments comprising of C. montagui and S. balanoides were manipulated to reduce densities at two similar sites. Changes in mortality and operculum growth were assessed over an 8-week period using digital photography. Covariates of growth included nearest neighbour distance, competition between closest pairs and initial size. Conflicting patterns were observed when comparing growth rates between treatments and sites. At Site 1, interspecific treatments had a lower growth rate than intraspecific treatments, whereas at Site 2, interspecific growth rates were higher. ANCOVA showed that nearest neighbour distance had no significant effect on growth, but when comparing differences in growth of closest neighbouring pairs, C. montagui treatment showed evidence of competition whereas S. balanoides did not. ANCOVA analysis indicated no difference in growth between each outcome of pair competition, suggesting winners are initially bigger than losers. Comparisons of mortality between treatments indicated mortality over time with no significant differences observed between treatments, but response surface methodology (RSM) revealed no effects of competition on mortality of S. balanoides, but negative effects of both intra- and interspecific competition on C. montagui survivorship. Examination of natural populations of barnacles in the mid-shore indicated there was strong spatial variation in growth rates, perhaps driven by small-scale differences within sites.

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Plymouth — A World Harbour through the ages

Cited by 23 publications

References 95 publications

Little evidence that lowering the pH of concrete supports greater biodiversity on tropical and temperate seawalls

Little evidence that lowering the pH of concrete supports greater biodiversity on tropical and temperate seawalls

Design catalogue for eco-engineering of coastal artificial structures: a multifunctional approach for stakeholders and end-users

Revisiting Connell: competition but not as we know it

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