Introduction
On a bright, warm day in April in Cobh, Ireland, I step down a centuries-old cobbled slipway that descends into a harbor packed with fishing boats. Halfway down, something interrupts the weathered wall: an installation of 60 hexagonal concrete panels bolted into the stone.
These panels were installed at Kennedy Pier in Cobh, a seaport town in Ireland’s County Cork, in September 2025, as part of the Living Seawalls project. Spearheaded by the Sydney Institute of Marine Science and the company Reef Design Lab, both in Australia, the Living Seawalls project aims to create biodiversity-friendly panels, boulders and pilings that can be installed on seawalls, marinas, piers and other hard coastal infrastructure to make them more hospitable to marine wildlife.
The Living Seawalls Project
The Living Seawalls project has the goal of creating panels that can be installed in coastal infrastructure to promote marine biodiversity. The panels are designed to provide habitats for a variety of marine species, from algae to mollusks and fish.
The Living Seawalls team is working to develop panels that can be installed in different types of coastal infrastructure, including seawalls, marinas and piers. The panels are made of concrete and have different textures and shapes to provide habitats for different marine species.
Initial Results
The initial results of the Living Seawalls project are promising. In Cobh, Ireland, the panels installed at Kennedy Pier are attracting a variety of marine species, including algae, mollusks and fish.
The Living Seawalls team is monitoring the panels and collecting data on marine biodiversity in the area. The initial results show that the panels are having a positive impact on local marine biodiversity.
Conclusion
The Living Seawalls project is an example of how coastal infrastructure can be designed to harbor marine life instead of causing harm. With the increasing urbanization of coastal areas, it is essential that we find ways to promote marine biodiversity and protect coastal ecosystems.
The Living Seawalls project is a step in the right direction and can serve as a model for other coastal infrastructure projects around the world.
Source / Reference
This article was originally published on Mongabay