The Living Seawall Pilot is an innovative study led by the Port of San Francisco and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) that is testing and evaluating engineering with nature concepts from around the world - from Seattle to Sydney - to learn how we can make San Francisco's seawalls more ecologically friendly in the future.
While the Bay Area has had a strong focus on ecological approaches, most of these efforts have focused on land-based solutions, such as marshes and coarse grain beaches. There has been less attention to opportunities to introduce living seawalls, also known as ecological seawalls.
Traditional seawalls are barren, exposed concrete surfaces unlike natural marine habitats and may benefit invasive species over native species. Living seawalls are designed to encourage underwater habitat.
Begun in 2022, the Living Seawall Pilot tests the use of textured tiles made with special materials designed to promote biodiversity. After two years of monitoring, the Port of San Francisco and Smithsonian Environmental Research Center announced promising early results from the Living Seawall Pilot. Preliminary findings show thriving communities of native oysters, crabs, seaweed, and other marine life colonizing the specially designed seawall tiles. These results indicate that the project’s designs can boost biodiversity and support native ecosystems.
The Living Seawall Pilot is closely aligned with the principles of Engineering With Nature. Engineering With Nature is an initiative of the US Army Corps of Engineers defined as, "the intentional alignment of natural and engineering processes to efficiently and sustainably deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits through collaboration."
The Living Seawall Pilot is well aligned with the Port's ongoing commitment to preserve and enhance the natural world through engineering with nature resilience solutions. It builds on similar projects in San Francisco's Central and Southern Waterfront, including Heron's Head Park, Pier 94 Wetlands, and Crane Cove Park, to bring ecological solutions to San Francisco's shoreline.
Learn more about the Living Seawall Pilot with coverage from KneeDeep Times.