Plymouth is now home to a living seawall after organisations across the world united in an attempt to enhance biodiversity along its waterfront.
A series of specially-designed concrete panels has been installed on the edge of the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park to make new habitats available to a variety of marine flora and fauna.
The panels, developed as a result of extensive scientific research, have been fixed to the seawall close to the Mayflower Steps memorial.
They cover an area spanning 12 × 2 metres, and will be monitored over the coming months to assess any different species of flora and fauna which have taken up residence.
The hope is that they could become home to limpets, barnacles, anemones, seaweeds, sponges and other species commonly found in natural habitats along the South West coastline.
The Living Seawalls in Plymouth installation is the largest of its kind in the UK to date. The project is being led by the University of Plymouth working alongside partners including Living Seawalls, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Plymouth City Council, Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum, Our Only World, The Rock Pool Project, Arup, Swansea University, and Ocean Conservation Trust.
The project is also being supported with funding from the University of Plymouth, Our Only World, Plymouth City Council, Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum, Cattewater Harbour Commissioners, and Associated British Ports (ABP).
Dr Louise Firth, Associate Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Plymouth, has worked on marine eco-engineering initiatives across the world for more than two decade and is leading the new project.
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