Coastal Development Mitigation
Our key focus is ‘better design below the waterline’ which we believe is an essential component of sustainable design and preventing a decline in aquatic biodiversity often associated with development. The International Association of Dredging Contractors (IADC) refers to this concept as 'building with nature'. Its all about building in a way that also 'creates opportunities for nature'.
Excellent progress has been made with sustainable design above the waterline therefore our role is to help you capitalise on better design below the waterline whether it be for meeting regulatory approvals, facilitating permits, corporate responsibility or to increase the project's value to stakeholders, community or environment.
Capitalising upon structure below the waterline is a bit like maximising the value of a basement or underground car park in an office block. Cities would have significant problems if developers didn't maximise the use of land by including below ground assets. And developers would have reduced returns financially if they didn't. Our philosophy is that traditional design of coastal structures is like building an office block and locking away the basement.
Consider us your underwater architects and aquascapers.
We can increase the value of your development by improving the marine environment and services provided or by adding unique underwater features.
We provide customised services to meet your needs, as well as:
- ‘Better design below the waterline’. Recommendations of how coastal infrastructure can be cost effectively designed to increase biodiversity or target species
- Designed artificial reefs to compensate for loss of natural rocky outcrops or coral reefs, enhance fisheries (including recreational fishing reefs), enhance seawalls/breakwaters or jetties
- Independent advice of the feasibility and effectiveness of proposed reef restoration/compensation plans
- Coral relocation and propagation
- Coral reef restoration and/or enhancement
- Marine impact monitoring and reporting
Click here to download our brochure.
In the News
We have a winner!
Sustainable Ocean Innovation Award 2012
...and the award goes to...GhostNets Australia for their work in northern Australia tackling the serious problem of lost fishing nets called 'ghost nets'.
The group has found ghost nets measuring 10km long and recorded a myriad of marine species that get entangled as the nets drift along with the currents. The litany of marine casualties include turtles, dolphins, sharks, seabirds, crocodiles, rays and of course, multitudes of fish. The destruction caused by ghost nets continues as they near shore, often wrapping themselves around delicate coral reefs and coastal mangrove systems.
"The GhostNets Australia program is a fantastic example of innovation in action. Solving our environmental problems needs a healthy dose of lateral thinking in order to first see a solution and then brainstorm a way to make it happen" said David Lennon, director of Sustainable Oceans International.
>>Read the media release here: Sustainable Ocean Innovation Award 2012
878 trees to save Orang Utans
SOI through the fantastic giving portal Buy 1 Give 1 (www.b1g1.com) donates a percentage of every project to planting trees in Borneo for Orang Utan habitat.
We just purchased 100 more trees today as part of our Bahrain project with Reef Arabia. That makes 878 in total we've added to the planet rather than taken away from the planet.
Why not join us and include B1G1 in your business!
SOI constructs first 'cod house' to help save Murray cod
Murray cod are Australia's largest freshwater fish and overfishing and loss of essential habitat has decimated their numbers. SOI has been contracted to design and construct a concrete unit to help restore some of the essential breeding habitat the fish require. Sidescan image by ACT Government.
SOI wins 2 Year Contract - Bahrain
SOI and partner Reef Arabia have won a two year contract to design, build and monitor 10 artificial reefs around Bahrain.
>>Further details and photos of deployment of first reef in Bahrain
>>Bahrain newspaper article in Arabic
Four reefs have been deployed thus far. This is the first project of its kind to be constructed in the Arabian Gulf and the first to use custom reef units (designed by SOI) specifically for the local species.
SOI Completes Coral Mitigation Plan for New Doha Port
SOI conducted the necessary surveys and prepared the coral mitigation plans for the New Doha Port construction. This included accurate coral surveys to quantify the size, type and number of corals within the imperiled and threatened zones, and detailed recommendations on relocation methodology, relocation sites and compensatory artificial reefs to offset loss of productive reef structure.
Memberships
