Ecological Design of Marine Construction for Socio-Economic Benefits: Ecosystem Integration of a Pipeline in Coral Reef Area

Authors

Sylvain Pioch, Egis Eau Co. (CDC Group) - Montpellier, France
Philippe Saussola
Kirk Kilfoyle, Nova Southeastern University; Universite Montpellier - FranceFollow
Richard E. Spieler, Nova Southeastern University; Universite Montpellier - FranceFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Procedia Environmental Sciences

ISSN

1878-0296

Publication Date

2011

Keywords

Coast, Ecosystem services, Mitigation, Artifical habitat, Ecological engineering, Restoration, Marine biodiversity

Abstract

It is critical to understand that an ecosystem integration of construction requires a close Engineering/Biology partnership to meet socio-economic benefits in management goals. Biologists are not typically trained or licensed for the requisite engineering involved in construction. Likewise, non-biologists designing habitat often can lead to egregious results. For example, unintentionally constructing the wrong habitat, i.e., refuge for predators in a nursery area, or habitat that facilitates the spread of non-desirable species can increase, rather than ameliorate, the impact of construction. In recent years, Pioch and co-workers (unpublished) developed an alternative to the “classic” engineering approach to marine construction. This new approach, of construction “integrated in ecosystem”, is now operational or in the planning stage for marinas, harbours, seawalls, dykes and pipelines. We will present the example of Mayotte project (France, West Indian Ocean) in 2008 established a 2,600 m underwater pipe line for around US $8.8 million (6.8 M€), linking “Grande Terre” to “Petite Terre” island, in a coral lagoon (marine protected area).

DOI

10.1016/j.proenv.2011.11.023

Volume

9

First Page

148

Last Page

152

Comments

©2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Under a Creative Commons license

NSUWorks Citation

Sylvain Pioch, Philippe Saussola, Kirk Kilfoyle, and Richard E. Spieler. 2011. Ecological Design of Marine Construction for Socio-Economic Benefits: Ecosystem Integration of a Pipeline in Coral Reef Area .Procedia Environmental Sciences : 148 -152. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/147.