Bio-Inspired Coastal Defense

Abstract

The Bio-Inspired Coastal Defense program is developing self-sustaining, hybrid man-made and biological reef structures to fortify and defend DoD bases in low-lying coastal regions. Military assets in these coastal regions are vulnerable to storm surges, wave action, and sea-level rise that cause erosion, degrade infrastructure, and impede operations. Innovative coastal defense will require major technological advances in (1) design, construction, and placement of manufactured reef primers, (2) accelerated recruitment and/or growth of reef species, and (3) sustained, zero-cost natural maintenance and improvement (e.g., increased durability after challenge) of the defensive reef. The primary benefit of such structures is to attenuate wave height during storm events for both established and under construction coastal facilities.

Document Details

Document Type
Accomplishment
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2025
Source ID
7a9ea389883c1ee9507d971a7089d330

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Coastal and Marine Engineering/Sediment Transport/Hydraulic Engineering
  • Economics

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