Living Ports

The LIVING PORTS project aims to adapt port infrastructure to climate change through innovative and sustainable solutions. The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint by using recycled materials and, at the same time, create new marine ecosystems through innovative design.

 

These port infrastructures will be built with low-carbon-footprint concrete thanks to the incorporation of recycled glass, which significantly reduces the amount of cement—the primary source of CO₂ emissions in concrete.

 

Additionally, the innovative design allows these structures to transition from passive elements with a high environmental impact to active elements that promote the growth of marine flora and fauna, thereby sequestering CO₂.

 

Rover Maritime led the consortium and the implementation of the technology validation pilot. To this end, several structures were designed and manufactured and installed in the Port of Sagunto to monitor the growth and colonization of the area’s native flora and fauna. The structures were built using various formulations and designs to verify the effectiveness of each variable. After several months of monitoring, a large number of polychaetes, fish, and associated fauna were observed on the structures, proving the technology’s validity. Over the years, underwater surveys have continued, revealing the formation of increasingly complex ecosystems over time.

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Main results obtained

After several months of monitoring, the amount of polychaetes, fish, and marine fauna associated with the structures—especially the submerged pyramidal blocks—has been remarkable. Although it is still too early to observe differences in settlement between the various concrete types or surface roughness levels, the early stages of ecological succession are already evident, with a significant presence of polychaetes and fish in the upper areas of the pyramidal blocks.

In upcoming monitoring campaigns, it is expected that differences in the settlement of photosynthetic organisms, such as algae, will become apparent.

Living Ports is a consortium project promoted and led by Rover Maritime, supported by the Valencian Innovation Agency under the Strategic Cooperative Projects program.

 

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Influence of Surface Roughness on Algae Attachment

Although conclusive results in real environments are not yet available, laboratory monitoring of specimens—conducted in aquariums designed to promote the growth of certain algae species—has yielded very interesting findings. It was observed that smooth finishes showed virtually no algae attachment, whereas rough‑textured surfaces exhibited a greater presence of algae, with colonization increasing as surface roughness increased.

This is illustrated in Figure 1, which shows the total organic carbon (TOC) fixed on each type of surface for the species Enteromorpha compressa.

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Relationship between Glass Content in Concrete and TOC Fixation

Figure 2 shows the average TOC (Total Organic Carbon) content by type of concrete. It can be observed that TOC content is higher in the blocks made with V3 material, which corresponds to the concrete with the highest glass content (V2 contains an intermediate amount of glass, while C refers to conventional concrete).

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