Global wicked problems
Coastal regions are on the frontline of the climate and biodiversity crises. As cities expand and extreme weather intensifies, more seawalls, pilings, pontoons, and marinas are being constructed to protect coastal communities and support growing energy and transport needs. However, the smooth, featureless surfaces of these structures offer little room for marine species to thrive, leading to the destruction of natural habitats such as saltmarshes, mudflats, beaches, and rocky shores. As these habitats disappear, so does the rich marine biodiversity they support, reducing important ecosystem services such as clean water, carbon storage, and fisheries production.
Living Seawalls: building with (and for) nature
University College Cork (UCC) has brought Living Seawalls to Cork through the Sustainability Institute and in collaboration with the Port of Cork. The first Living Seawall in Cork, located on Kennedy Pier in Cobh, was installed in September 2025, marking Ireland’s entry into a growing global movement to redesign marine infrastructure for sustainability and biodiversity.
Originally developed by researchers in Sydney, Living Seawalls are modular concrete panels shaped using 3D printing and nature-based design principles. Their textured surfaces recreate the pits, crevices, and pools found on natural coastlines, offering space and shelter for a wide range of marine life. By adding habitat complexity to otherwise flat seawalls, they support healthier ecosystems and contribute to global sustainability efforts aligned with numerous UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 11 (Sustainable cities & communities), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 13 (Climate action).
Living Seawalls have now been installed in more than 20 sheltered sites worldwide, from Australia and New Zealand to the UK, Gibraltar, Singapore, and the USA, demonstrating how nature-positive design can be applied at a variety of scales, from major urban projects to small community waterfronts.
In Cork, UCC researchers will monitor the Kennedy Pier installation, assessing how this approach performs in the temperate conditions of the south coast of Ireland. Community engagement is at the heart of the project. Local schools, community groups, and citizen scientists are invited to take part in monitoring and educational activities, while the Living Seawall itself doubles as a public resource that connects people with their marine environment.
The installation also brings together science, education, and art, creating a space where innovation, knowledge exchange, and creativity meet to reimagine how we live with the sea. If successful, the Living Seawalls in Cork could serve as a model for similar projects across Ireland and beyond, showcasing how science, sustainability and engineering can work together to reimagine coastal infrastructure.
The science
Living Seawalls provide an evidence-based solution to increasing the ecological value of artificial structures in the marine environment. Built on over 20 years of scientific research, Living Seawalls demonstrate that incorporating ecological principles into new and existing construction can have significant biodiversity benefits.
The research in Sydney Harbour has shown that, after one to two years, Living Seawalls already support at least 36% more species than plain, unmodified seawalls, with as many as 85 species of invertebrates, seaweeds and fish living and growing on the panels. Similar numbers have been found on nearby natural rocky reefs, which are hotspots of biodiversity. The benefits of Living Seawalls, however, extend beyond invertebrates and seaweeds. Fish can find shelter in the habitat provided and benefit from the additional food sources found on the panels. By two years post-installation, greater numbers of fish were found in and around the Living Seawalls panels than on unmodified, flat, seawalls. The panels have been engineered to last at least 20 years, and it is likely that as time elapses, Living Seawalls will continue to attract and serve as a home to even more species.
Humans also benefit directly from Living Seawalls. Research has demonstrated that where habitat-enhancing panels bolster the biodiversity and number of oysters and mussels, they can also enhance particle removal from the water. Hence, installing Living Seawalls may improve local water clarity and quality, which in turn enhances recreational activities including swimming, fishing and water sports in and around urban oceans. Living Seawalls show that building for nature is building for people, too!
