A three-year pilot project between the Port of San Diego and eco-engineering company ECOncrete to protect and foster the growth of man-made tide pools has begun on Harbor Island, it was announced Wednesday.
The project is built around ECOncrete’s Coastalock Tide Pool Armor technology and will feature 72 interlocking “armor units” to provide environmentally sensitive edge protection around the island in San Diego Bay while creating habitat for marine life.
Approved by the Board of Port Commissioners in 2019, the project is part of the port’s Blue Economy Incubator, a launching pad for sustainable aquaculture and port-related sustainable technology ventures.
“ECOncrete’s Coastalock tide pool armor demonstrates an innovative approach that can be used for years to come for San Diego Bay,” Commissioner Rafael Castellanos said. “By mimicking natural rock pools with beautiful water retaining features, the project will sustain valuable marine life while coping with climate change and urbanization. Harbor Island is the first and only location in Southern California for locals and visitors to see first-hand what kind of sea life takes residence in man-made tide pools.”
Harbor Island is currently protected from storm flooding and erosion by a riprap rock mound, offering limited habitat value for marine life. The ECOncrete project is intended to require minimal maintenance and provide structural and ecological benefits, including the promotion of marine organisms and restoration of local ecosystems.
Every six months after installation, ECOncrete will evaluate the viability of the tide pool units as an ecological armoring replacement to traditional riprap.
“This Blue Economy pilot is proving that the coastal and marine construction industry can achieve two goals at once: any concrete infrastructure going into the water can perform structurally and be good for ecosystems,” said Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, co-founder and CEO of ECOncrete.
“Coastalock is a fully load bearing, durable solution that changes the form and function of our developed coastlines — making them stronger, able to store carbon, while rejuvenating the precious coastal ecosystems, and inviting the local community to engage with their waterfront,” Perkol-Finkel added.
ECOncrete is the eighth project approved under the Blue Economy Incubator, which was established in 2016.
–City News Service
