Concrete Marine Structures Double Biomass in Bay Pilot
The Port of San Diego plans to expand its habitat-boosting shoreline project after seeing success in a two-year trial.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Environmental
Live Poll
Do you support using artificial structures to boost marine life in your local waterways?
The Port of San Diego has concluded a two-year pilot project in San Diego Bay, where specially designed concrete structures replaced traditional shoreline armoring to support local marine ecosystems. This successful research-stage effort demonstrated a significant increase in marine biomass within the test area.
Why it matters
As coastal urbanization continues to threaten biodiversity, integrating engineered surfaces into existing infrastructure provides a scalable method to restore marine health. This project establishes a concrete baseline for retrofitting industrial shorelines to serve as productive habitats.
The pilot saw a 100% increase in biomass—the total mass of living organisms—within the designated test zones compared to untreated control sites. These units function by providing textured growth surfaces that replace standard, smooth shoreline armoring.
The players
Port of San Diego
A public entity managing maritime industrial infrastructure and environmental restoration efforts in the bay.
Ocean Ecostructures
An engineering firm specializing in marine hardware designed to encourage biodiversity on coastal infrastructure.
The details
The project replaces traditional riprap or seawalls with modular, biologically active concrete surfaces. These structures feature irregular crevices and pores designed to simulate natural reef environments, allowing barnacles, algae, and other organisms to anchor more effectively. By increasing the complexity of the vertical surface area, the units facilitate colonization by marine species that would otherwise struggle to find footing on industrial, monolithic concrete.
Timeline
2024-2026: Duration of the initial pilot project.
Future: Permitting process for the 30 new unit installations.
Two-year window: Monitoring period for the upcoming installations.
The Tech Race
This project moves beyond singular pilot studies to test the scalability of biomimetic marine engineering on a larger, regional scale. It tracks with growing international efforts to transform industrial waterfronts into functional ecological assets.
The 30 new units will be installed on existing bay infrastructure following the completion of a required permitting process. These sites will then undergo a two-year monitoring phase to confirm if the biomass growth observed in the pilot remains consistent across the larger deployment.
The takeaway
San Diego demonstrates that industrial shorelines can be engineered to actively boost marine populations rather than just providing static defense. Monitor the upcoming permitting schedule to see when the 30-unit expansion begins, which will provide a critical test for large-scale deployment.
Further reading
Learn more about local Environmental initiatives shaping the coastal landscape.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV.
Live Poll
Do you support using artificial structures to boost marine life in your local waterways?
