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https://news.fiu.edu/2026/fiu-researchers-install-3d-printed-seawall-tiles-to-support-coastal-protection-and-marine-life>
"At Morningside Park in Miami, a new installation is testing a simple but
urgent idea: What if a seawall could help heal the bay?
Researchers at the Institute of Environment recently installed a series of
3D-printed seawall tiles designed and developed at FIU's Robotics and Digital
Fabrication Lab. Led by Shahin Vassigh, principal investigator on the project,
this collaborative effort explores how coastal infrastructure can protect
communities while supporting marine life.
Seawalls are a familiar part of South Florida’s coastline. They help protect
homes, roads and public spaces from flooding, erosion and storm surge, but
traditional seawalls are usually flat, hard surfaces that leave little room for
the organisms that once lived along natural shorelines.
BioCAP, short for Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and
Performance, takes a different approach. The system uses modular, interlocking
tiles that can be attached to existing seawalls. Each tile is robotically
printed and designed with grooves, ridges, crevices and small pools that create
more complex surfaces for marine organisms to attach, shelter and grow.
“Our goal is to rethink what shoreline protection can look like in urban
coastal areas,” Vassigh said. “Instead of treating seawalls only as barriers,
these tiles allow us to transform them into living surfaces that support marine
life, improve habitat complexity and enhance coastal resilience.”
The design responds to the different conditions found along a seawall. Near the
upper tidal zone, the tiles can provide space for organisms such as crabs and
limpets. In the middle zone, oysters and barnacles can attach to the textured
surfaces. Below the waterline, the tiles can offer habitat for organisms such
as sponges.
The installation also allows researchers to study how the tiles perform over
time. Before being placed in the bay, the tiles were tested in a lab to
evaluate how they interact with wave energy. According to the project team, the
textured surfaces reduced wave energy reflection compared to bare concrete.
At Morningside Park, the tiles will now be monitored in real-world conditions.
Researchers will study how marine life colonizes the surfaces and whether the
added habitat can contribute to improved water quality and shoreline
performance. Two of the installed tiles include sensors that will track
conditions such as temperature, salinity and water quality.
For Miami and other coastal cities, the project offers a practical way to
rethink infrastructure that is already part of the landscape. Instead of
replacing seawalls, BioCAP explores how existing walls can be adapted to better
work with the ecosystems around them."
Via Esther Schindler.
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
