SHORE THING
Placed in the inter-tidal zone is a bio-based beachrock designed to dissipate ocean currents and nourish beaches through specifically designed geometric shells made with coral beach sand, coconut coir fibers and a safe bacterium. These bio-cementation shells are designed to work with the natural dynamics of the island to accrete sand and degrade productively at the end-of-life back into the ecosystem.
Project Video
Prototypes tested in the Maldives
These islands are alive—home to vibrant coral reefs, an ocean rich with beneficial bacteria, and coconut trees swaying in the warm tropical winds. On a six-month cycle the currents oscillate, bringing sand from one side of the island to the other. Over larger time scales, the islands adapt and change shape but maintain a dynamic equilibrium. ‘Cracking’ this vital and flexible soft coastline can cause sand to be lost to the sea through beach erosion.
