Can our coastal experience help us save the deep sea?

Look back through human history, and you find countless stories of how our ancestors have lived in harmony with nature. However, you will also see how our natural resources have been harnessed for our apparent benefit. And, in those instance, you almost inevitably find tales of those resources being exploited to the point where they dry up and disappear – but not before they have caused irrevocable damage.

In all that time, the ocean has been quietly going about its business. However, it is now at a tipping point. And development in, and by, the ocean is advancing at a seemingly unstoppable pace.

Over the past century, the ever-growing global population has placed increasing demands on our coastlines. As space to build inland has become limited, megacities have sprung up where previously there were pristine environments. Habitats have been destroyed by artificial islands. Nature has been replaced by metal, concrete and other manmade materials.

It is a process which shows no sign of slowing down. It is predicted that some of the largest remaining stretches of ‘unaltered’ coastlines are expected to experience rapid population growth between now and 2100.

It almost goes without saying – or, at least, it should go without saying – that this is having a negative impact right under our noses. Coastal habitats are being threatened and destroyed. Species which had previously thrived are diminishing, or being replaced by others with different (often inferior) ecological functions and service provisions. Alternatively, their habitats are simply becoming barren. The life-giving properties which prompted people to build by the ocean are being inexorably drained away.

One way to try and overcome this is through the so-called integrated greening of grey infrastructure (IGGI). It aims to take existing manmade structures – such as sea walls, breakwaters and revetments – and adapt them in ways that enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. It is a concept which requires a whole-systems approach uniting engineers and ecologists, communities, and policy makers at local, national and international levels. And we, in Plymouth, have developed a world-leading reputation in its experimentation.

Nothing is as good as the natural habitats and species that have been lost, but we must do something. There is no question that IGGI is a novel solution which attempts to halt biodiversity loss and enhance the marine built environment. However, it cannot simply be used to greenwash new developments. And, at the end of the day, an artificial environment will never be the same as an unspoilt one.