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Recommendations for built marine infrastructure that supports natural habitats

Published Article

Global

Publication date: March 11, 2025

File format: URL

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Built marine infrastructure—from ports to aquaculture and artificial reefs—is rapidly expanding as natural habitats decline. This study outlines nine recommendations showing how ecological design of marine structures can shift impacts from net negative to net beneficial. Integrating functional, economic and social considerations with marine spatial planning, the recommendations highlight opportunities to minimize harm and enhance habitat value. As the Anthropocene footprint grows offshore, adopting these strategies globally can help ensure built structures contribute to ecosystem health rather than degrade it, offering a largely untapped pathway for nature‑positive marine development.

Subject Tags

  • Ecosystem management
  • Habitat restoration

Abstract

The extent of built marine infrastructure—from energy infrastructure and ports to artificial reefs and aquaculture—is increasing globally. The rise in built structure coverage is concurrent with losses and degradation of many natural habitats. Although historically associated with net negative impacts on natural systems, built infrastructure—with proper design and innovation—could offer a largely unrealized opportunity to reduce those impacts and support natural habitats. We present nine recommendations that could catalyze momentum toward using built structures to both serve their original function and benefit natural habitats (relative to the status quo, for example). These recommendations integrate functional, economic and social considerations with marine spatial planning and holistic ecosystem management. As the footprint of the Anthropocene expands into ocean spaces, adopting these nine recommendations at global scales can help to ensure that ecological harm is minimized and that, where feasible, ecological benefits from marine built structures are accrued.

Citation

Paxton, A. B., Lester, S. E., Smith, C. S., Narayan, S., Angelini, C., Runde, B. J., ... & Silliman, B. R. (2025). Recommendations for built marine infrastructure that supports natural habitats. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 23(6), e2840. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2840

TNC Authors