Modular reefs turn Dutch sea wall into a marine life haven

One hundred modular reef structures and 66 tidal pools have been built into the Lauwersmeerdijk sea wall in the Netherlands, creating habitat for fish, shellfish, crustaceans, algae and other marine organisms. The installation is the culmination of a pilot that began in 2021; university researchers tracked how quickly pilot structures were colonised, finding swift settlement of mussels, oysters, barnacles, seaweeds and tunicates, with cavities drawing in mobile species offering shelter and feeding grounds.