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Leveraging built marine structures to benefit and minimize impacts on natural habitats

Published Article

Global

Publication date: February 17, 2025

File format: URL

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Natural marine habitats continue to decline even as built marine structures—shoreline armoring, offshore energy platforms, aquaculture installations and artificial reefs—rapidly expand, now comprising over 80% of structured nearshore habitat in some regions. These structures often harm ecosystems because they are rarely designed with ecological function in mind. This synthesis highlights eco‑engineered marine structures that mimic or facilitate natural habitats, offering “bright spot” examples where biodiversity, ecosystem services and habitat recovery improved. However, the authors caution that built structures generally have negative environmental consequences and must not replace conventional conservation or justify habitat destruction. Instead, they should be used strategically to complement, not substitute, natural‑habitat protection in a changing climate.

Subject Tags

  • Coastal
  • Nature-based solutions
  • Reefs

Abstract

Many natural marine habitats are decreasing in extent despite global conservation and restoration efforts. In contrast, built marine structures, such as hardened shorelines, offshore energy and aquaculture infrastructure, and artificial reefs, are increasing in extent—and, in some locations, represent over 80% of nearshore, structured habitat. When introduced into the seascape, built marine structures inevitably interact with natural habitats, but these structures are not typically designed to support natural systems. This approach often results in overall harm to natural systems, further impeding marine conservation goals. However, there is growing recognition within the ocean management and engineering community that built marine structures can be strategically designed to minimize their negative impacts and potentially support ecosystems and associated biota. We synthesize the best available science and provide bright spot examples of how leveraging built marine structures to mimic or facilitate natural habitats can help recover biodiversity, augment ecosystem services, and rehabilitate degraded habitats, providing positive outcomes for people and nature in a changing climate. Despite these bright spots, we caution that built structures typically have overall negative environmental consequences for natural habitats and should not be used in lieu of conventional habitat restoration or conservation or to justify the destruction of natural habitats.

Citation

Paxton, A. B., Runde, B. J., Smith, C. S., Lester, S. E., Vozzo, M. L., Saunders, M. I., ... & Silliman, B. R. (2025). Leveraging built marine structures to benefit and minimize impacts on natural habitats. BioScience, 75(2), 172-183. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae135

TNC Authors