Tel Aviv uses underwater concrete structures to increase marine biodiversity

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From CTech by Tofi Stoler

Tel Aviv is using underwater concrete structures to increase marine biodiversity in one of its shores.
To do so, Atarim Group, a city owned corporation in charge of developing Tel Aviv’s coastline areas, has partnered with Israel-based startup ECOncrete Tech Ltd., which develops eco-friendly underwater structures.

Earlier this week, the city placed three of ECOncrete’s tide pool units in the waters surrounding the Jaffa port, ECOncrete’s co-founder and CEO Shimrit Perkol-Finkel said in a phone interview with Calcalist Thursday.
Perkol-Finkel announced the project in a LinkedIn post Tuesday.

Founded in 2012 by Perkol-Finkel and Ido Sella, both marine ecologists, ECOncrete manufactures concrete structures that accelerate the growth of marine plants and animals, including fish, coral reefs, seaweed, and sea anemone.

Our mission is to provide clients with fully constructive concrete products, designs, and practical solutions that reduce the infrastructure’s ecological footprint while enhancing their structural performance.

We work hand in hand with developers, authorities, contractors, landscape architects, engineers and ecologists interested in working through the structural demands and ecological challenges of their projects.

ECOncrete’s products—sea mattresses, seawalls, and tide pools—are meant to be integrated into critical shoreline infrastructures, such as breakwaters, ports, docks, and underwater pipelines. ECOncrete developed a bio-enhancing material, which it adds to its concrete mix to reduce carbon footprint and encourage fauna and flora growth.

The structures are designed with crevices and textures that mimic natural surfaces such as rocks to encourage living organisms to develop on their surface.

 Installation of ECOncrete's tide pools in Jaffa earlier this week.

Photo: ECOncrete

The biological layer also protects the infrastructure from corrosion and erosion, reducing the need for future repairs, Perkol-Finkel said.
ECOncrete’s underwater products are currently installed at Brooklyn Bridge Park, at the Port of Rotterdam, at Israel's Herzliya Marina, and at a military naval base in Haifa.

Links :

• Jerusalem Post : How Israel solves the concrete problem that's killing the oceans
• Israel21c : An environmental revolution is about to transform our ports and piers
• Ozy : The Israeli Taking Concrete Steps to Save Marine Life
• Grapevine : How a company is turning wildlife destroyers into comfy marine homes