The biodiversity in the North Sea is under threat due to overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction. Intensive fishing practices have depleted fish stocks and damaged the seabed. Pollution from agricultural runoff and industrial activities has led to water quality degradation. Additionally, infrastructure projects disrupt marine habitats, further impacting marine life. We need to rethink how infrastructure projects are carried out, and consider how to design them more in harmony with nature. Our collaborative effort with Deme Group & Artes, and MDK (Maritime Services and Coast Agency) aims to transform Blankenberge’s harbor dam into a model of sustainable, nature-inclusive infrastructure. The new harbor dam will be built not only with the traditional concrete Haro blocks but also with 40 nature-inclusive Haro blocks. These nature-inclusive units meet marine-grade concrete standards and are designed to promote ecological responsibility by fostering marine life. They support a diverse range of marine species, improve water quality, and stimulate carbon storage. The technology transforms marine concrete into habitable surfaces, promoting the growth of calcific organisms such as oysters, tubeworms, corals, and algae, which filter water, sequester carbon, and create a habitat for a variety of other marine life. The goal of Go Ocean is to gain support for 40 eco units. The units are installed in 2025. When proven successful, the project can be expanded for large-scale application along the Belgian coastline and beyond. To ensure the ecological benefits are realized and documented, we adhere to a comprehensive monitoring plan. The monitoring scope includes: • Diversity indices: We will measure biodiversity, species richness, and species abundance between the eco Haro units and the traditional concrete blocks (A/B). • Successional stages: Differences in biogenic buildup and successional stages will be recorded. • Biological accumulation: We will assess the biological productivity and ecological value of the breakwater. Nice to know: because the eco units can be customized with numbers and company logos, we can provide transparency, personal ecological monitoring, and unique branding opportunities.

Seagrasses are the only flowering plants that can live underwater. Just like plants on the land, they have leaves, stems, roots, and photosynthetic activity. The plants’ long but strong leaves form dense meadows under the sea. Loch Craignish in Scotland has 10 small seagrass meadows and there are 80 hectares of mud where we think seagrass can be restored. With this seagrass meadow restoration project, in cooperation with Seawilding, we are trying to rebuild damaged seagrass meadows and expand the meadows already existing. This is vital, because just like the coral reefs and rainforests of the tropics, these underwater gardens are full of life, hosting many animals of different shapes, colors, and sizes. By trying multiple methodologies of planting, we are trying to figure out which method is most efficient and successful. These methods include direct seed injection, seed scattering, sod transplants, hessian bags, and rhizome planting. Read more about our progress in the news updates below!

With the help of 47 incredible volunteers from the UK, Europe, and beyond, our local team in Scotland transplanted 20,000 shoots over a five-week sprint this spring, potentially creating 2,600 m² of new seagrass meadow. That’s a 300% increase from last year’s efforts. They're growing, literally and figuratively. In 2024, we often planted bundles of 10 shoots at 2 bundles per square metre. This year, we switched it up: 1 bundle per square metre, and half of those only had 5 shoots. If this lower-density method works, it could quadruple our restoration capacity. We also kicked things off six weeks ahead of schedule this year, planting 2,000 shoots in late March. We’re testing if we can extend the planting season to gain more flexibility and free up time for oyster restoration later in the summer. Until now, all transplanting has happened next to existing seagrass meadows. But this year, we went bold: we planted in two areas where eDNA analysis suggested seagrass used to grow: - A site in Loch Craignish capped with land-quarried sand (see more on Van Oord below) - A completely new site in Loch Beag, just next door