It was two storms in February and one pandemic lockdown lasting four months that made us late but finally the Bouldnor Isle of Wight MARINEFF research project with Bournemouth University is underway with the installation of forty five Vertipools on the sea defences there!
The entire stretch of seawall where 45 Vertipools are being tested over two years.
The Marineff project is a cross-Channel research project between universities and partners in the south of England and northern France.
It has €4.6million of European Union funding and brings together ecologists and material scientists from French and English universities, industrial partners and other stakeholders to find ways of protecting and enhancing coastal ecosystems.
Marineff research assistant Jessica Bone said: “As coastal development increases on our coastlines, we are losing habitat for coastal species in exchange for harsh surfaces that are tough for species to colonise.”
Dr Roger Herbert & Jessica Bone resin fixing stainless steel threaded studs in the sea wall ready for Vertipool attachment.
Artecology has designed and manufactured 150 artificial rock pools for the acacdemic study. Over the coming weeks they will all be attached to seawalls at four separate locations as part of the EU-funded Marine Infrastructure Effects (Marineff) project.
Habitat loss is a serious threat to marine life as coastal development increases and sea level rises with climate warming, Artecology has been actively working on these problems for several years. Artecology R&D lead Nige George said, “Our innovative project to ‘shelve the coast’ with artificial habitat began at this very site near Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight back in 2013. At the time we had never heard of another product or project like Vertipools so we where on our own in terms of trialing and product development. That all changed when we met Dr Roger Herbert from Bournemouth Uni because a year or so after our first Vertipools where installed at Bouldnor Roger asked us if he could have a PhD student monitor their progress. That was the start of some brilliant data collection and a fantastic working relationship!”
Seven years on the original 2013 Vertipools are still doing the job by providing rockpool habitat and now they sit happily alongside the new MARINEFF test array. “This is a very big stretch of ecoengineering, probably one of the biggest in the world. We have over 100 metres of ecological enhancement here at Bouldnor…..which is perfect for a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve I think!” Nige said.
MARINEFF Vertipools after successful installation and their first night being submerged.
Stainless steel fixings are always used as standard for attaching Vertipools. There’s no such thing as over engineering when it comes to putting objects in the marine environment!
Our Artecology installation team working with the Bournemouth University team in the Isle of Wight Biosphere Reserve.
The new MARINEFF study aims to address a number of questions and issues faced by coastal managers and engineers with the application of ecological enhancement on coastal infrastructure. These include investigating the optimum spacing of the units for maximum ecological uplift, and if retrofitting Vertipools can affect structural integrity of sea walls and the optimal formula of concrete for promoting marine species settlement. To ensure the Vertipools will be suitable for application by coastal engineers, the concrete will be tested for durability and mechanical strength. The Vertipools are being tested on seawall sites on the French and English Channel coasts in order to optimise designs for future coastal infrastructure planning. This project will provide solutions for simple, effective and robust ecological enhancement of coastal infrastructure that are proven and effective, transforming “grey” infrastructure to “blue/ green” infrastructure.