The startup Ocean Ecostructures, with the support of the Eurecat technology centre, is pioneering the renaturalization of port seabeds through the development and monitoring of structures that mimic nature and replicate the functions of coastal ecosystems. These structures can generate entirely new ecosystems with between two to six times more species.
This strategy, already implemented at the ports of Barcelona and Palma, aims to transform grey infrastructures—specifically commercial ports—into blue infrastructures or marine oases, restoring degraded and polluted areas while recovering biodiversity.
The structures developed by Ocean Ecostructures, supported by Eurecat, integrate innovations in product design, material characterization, and simulations, as well as AI-based predictive data analysis and new systems for the attachment and restoration of certain species. These technological solutions enable the creation of micro-reefs and bio-walls, facilitating the renaturalization of port infrastructures and enhancing marine biodiversity, with the ultimate goal of producing a positive environmental impact to help mitigate climate change effects on coastal areas.
Restoring marine ecosystems at the Ports of Barcelona and Palma
These biomimetic structures, designed to restore and protect marine ecosystems, have been installed at the ports of Barcelona and Palma under the OASIS project, which also involves GPA SEABOTS for technological integration. OASIS, an initiative to transform ports into active agents of biodiversity regeneration and climate action, is part of the Ports 4.0 funding program for innovation in the port sector.
“This project represents an improvement in sustainability and digitalization of commercial and sports ports, which face the highest pollution and environmental impact,” explains Anna Lloveras, scientific director and co-founder of Ocean Ecostructures. “It also promotes economic development within the blue economy and opens the door to monetizable ecosystem services for ports.”
Within the OASIS collaboration, “Eurecat has developed the reef designs and conducted multiphysics simulations to ensure their resistance to currents and sea pressures,” says Maite Iriondo, Project Manager at Eurecat’s Product Development Unit.
Eurecat as a strategic partner to accelerate innovation
To bring these and other innovative seabed renaturalization solutions to life, Ocean Ecostructures and Eurecat have established joint working teams, where Eurecat contributes with multidisciplinary knowledge in analytics, product development, and applied implementation. “This system has greatly improved our efficiency and speed of development,” highlights Anna Lloveras.
“We have worked together on multiple innovation projects, leveraging the specific departments at Eurecat as needed to achieve the results we were aiming for,” adds Mireia de Mas, co-founder and communications director of Ocean Ecostructures.
Eurecat and Ocean Ecostructures continue to collaborate on initiatives “aimed at marine renaturalization, including product design, advanced simulation, IoT systems for seabed monitoring, and coastal systems that support climate change mitigation,” notes Jesús Boschmonart, Head of Business Development for Eurecat’s Green Cities & Industries team.
