Ecological enhancements are design features, retrofitting structures, or stand-alone units that ameliorate conditions for marine organisms. In urban marine environments, ecological enhancements are primarily aimed at increasing biodiversity, supporting functionally important taxonomic groups, such as filter-feeding bivalves, and preventing the spread of non-indigenous species.
Enhancement units for urban shorelines include tiles, textured slabs, and stand-alone modules. Generally, these units work by increasing structural complexity and the availability of microhabitats. Complexity features and microhabitats increase ecological opportunities for marine organisms, reduce stressful abiotic conditions, and serve as refugia from predation.
The type of enhancement unit that will work best in any given project depends on the project’s scale, the tidal height at which its constructed, and what’s known about native and non-native organisms in that respective area.
At any point if you have questions about the type of enhancement that works best on a particular project, don’t hesitate to contact us.