Scientists and the U.S. military install concrete modules with a self-healing oyster reef structure in Florida’s Panhandle Bay to protect the base

Rutgers-designed hybrid reef-mimicking experiment could provide protection from coastal storms and flooding

U.S. Air Force officials deployed Oct. 30 in the waters of St. Bay. Andrew on the shore of U.S. Tyndall Air Force Base in northwest Florida, a new structure – the first part of a “self-healing” reef designed by Rutgers University with specially designed concrete modules and live oysters. The reef is intended to protect the base and its inhabitants from hurricanes and high tides.

As guests watched, the crane lowered a section of what would eventually become a 50-foot-wide reef composed of approximately 800 interconnected concrete cubes that Rutgers scientists created in collaboration with colleagues from several institutions. The structures are currently being pulled out into shallow water, about 200 feet from the shoreline.

The concrete provides the firm substrate the oysters need to attach themselves to, and is specifically designed so that over the next year, more oysters will naturally be attracted to the structures, ultimately creating resilient hybrid “living” reefs.

A group standing around a truck holding a concrete structure — Part of the Rutgers Reefense team: (from left) Chief Scientist David Bushek, director of the Haskins Shellfish Research Laboratory; Professor of Civil Engineering Hani Nassif; Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Richard Riman; Field Researcher Jenny Shinn, Haskins Lab; Reid Holland, PhD student, Nassif Lab; Michał Ruszala, master’s student, Nassif Lab.

Air Force officials are testing a federally funded experimental reef Re-defense a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to assess whether it provides adequate coastal protection against upcoming storms. The international effort, involving more than 60 researchers, is focused on developing self-healing, hybrid, biological and engineered reef-like structures to mitigate coastal flooding, erosion and storm damage that increasingly threaten infrastructure and civilian personnel, and US Department of Defense.

Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane that devastated the Florida Panhandle in October 2018, tore apart Tyndall’s hangars, damaged several supersonic stealth fighters known as F-22 Raptors and left much of the base in ruins.

“This experiment will document the ability of the Reefense modules to protect and enhance the bay’s shoreline and increase its strength and resilience,” said the lead scientist David Bushek, director of the Rutgers Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory and professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS).

Concrete structure on the beach — Single Reefense module. It will be part of over 800 interconnected modules that form the backbone of an experimental hybrid reef.

Oysters grow in clusters, rather than as individual animals, and form natural breakwaters in shallow water by connecting to each other. Bushek said such organic structures are effective in protecting shorelines but can break down during severe storms. The hybrid living coastline at the center of the experiment includes both man-made and natural elements, specifically designed to be more durable without negatively impacting the marine environment.

Bushek observed the installation along with DARPA’s Reefense Program Manager Catherine Campbell and other members of the research team.

The project builds on Rutgers’ historic strength as home to the world’s oldest and one of the best oyster farming programs. Some analyzes of Chinese scientists considered the most comprehensive to date, it characterized two Rutgers oyster researchers as the second and fifteenth most productive and prolific oyster researchers in the world.

These efforts also leverage faculty members’ latest innovations in materials science, hydrodynamic modeling, and what scientists call “adaptive biology.” The expression refers to the ability of organisms to change in response to environmental pressures, such as warming temperatures or increasing risk of disease.

The squat and honeycomb-shaped, two-square-foot, 450-pound installed modules are made of specially designed low-carbon footprint concrete and will be covered with disease-resistant oysters bred through genomic selection. The structures are expected to be more effective at stabilizing and protecting shorelines than natural versions.

Similar to sound-absorbing cones in a soundproof room, the openings in the modules are designed to absorb and dissipate wave energy, protecting the shore below and the shallow area closer to the shoreline. The structures also cause larger waves to break further, further protecting the area.

A cluster of oysters on the beach — The oysters naturally clump together and will grow on a specially designed concrete structure, creating a “hybrid” reef.

“We wanted to develop an ecologically functional, engineered structure that provides the strength and durability of hard structures while facilitating the benefits provided by the organisms that colonize the modules,” Bushek said. “As a result, we have made many discoveries and advances in science and technology over the last few years. We pushed the needle hard.”

Bushek cooperates Richard Rimandistinguished professor at Rutgers School of Engineering, who is a co-investigator of the project and is leading the development of the engineering reef. Collaborating Rutgers researchers include a distinguished professor Ximing Guo and associate professor Daphne Munroefrom both the Haskin Laboratory and SEBS, and Hania Nassifprofessor at the School of Engineering.

Dozens of scientists and engineers from universities across the United States and Australia are actively involved in the collaboration.