Working alongside Glasgow and Bournemouth Universities, we have developed an innovative ‘Ecoformliner’ that not only provides an effective coastal defence, but also offers vast environmental benefits.

Based on evidence and scientific research, the Ecoformliner is a textured sea wall that creates many opportunities for marine animals and plants to take hold. Compared with traditional ‘smooth’ seawalls, this has huge benefits for the biodiversity and beyond. The contoured design retains water and encourages vegetation growth, which in turn stops the wall from drying out, helps to reduce fluctuations in the wall temperature and leads to greater resilience and longevity. Additionally, the vegetation helps to absorb wave energy whilst reducing salt egress into the ground, creating a more stable environment. 

Marine species will colonise the Ecoformliner over time, and as they do, we expect the wall to ‘green up’. We will be working with the Glasgow and Bournemouth Universities to monitor how quickly the wall colonises and with what species.

Funding for the research and development of this innovation has been secured from the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Local Levy, the Environment Agency’s Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF) fund and Natural England.

Read more about Nature Based Solutions for coastal management.