TY - JOUR
T1 - Enhancing alpha and beta diversity on vertical seawalls by retrofitting eco-engineered panels
AU - Lo, Chi C.
AU - Astudillo, Juan C.
AU - Bradford, Thea E.
AU - Wong, Carmen
AU - Leung, Kenneth M.Y.
PY - 2025/6
Y1 - 2025/6
N2 - The effect of surface heterogeneity of manmade substrate on alpha diversity of intertidal epibiota is well-studied, but its influence on beta diversity remains largely unexplored. Herein, two designs of eco-engineered panels were retrofitted onto existing vertical seawalls in three regions of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, and were compared with scraped seawall plots for two years. Panels and controls were surveyed quarterly for epibiotic alpha diversity, followed by a survey for beta diversity after two years of deployment. Over 30 % of taxa were unique to either or both panel designs, compared to only about 5 % of unique taxa on the control plots. Within-site beta diversity was approximately 10–40 % higher than that of two nearby unmodified seawalls across all three regions. Also, filter feeding and habitat forming taxa were more abundant on the panels. Evidently, eco-engineered panels can enhance alpha and beta diversity, and enrich the biological community therein. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
AB - The effect of surface heterogeneity of manmade substrate on alpha diversity of intertidal epibiota is well-studied, but its influence on beta diversity remains largely unexplored. Herein, two designs of eco-engineered panels were retrofitted onto existing vertical seawalls in three regions of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, and were compared with scraped seawall plots for two years. Panels and controls were surveyed quarterly for epibiotic alpha diversity, followed by a survey for beta diversity after two years of deployment. Over 30 % of taxa were unique to either or both panel designs, compared to only about 5 % of unique taxa on the control plots. Within-site beta diversity was approximately 10–40 % higher than that of two nearby unmodified seawalls across all three regions. Also, filter feeding and habitat forming taxa were more abundant on the panels. Evidently, eco-engineered panels can enhance alpha and beta diversity, and enrich the biological community therein. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
KW - Biodiversity conservation
KW - Blue-green infrastructure
KW - Eco-engineering
KW - Ecological enhancement
KW - Greening grey infrastructure
KW - Sustainable development
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UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105000505369&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117865
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.117865
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
SN - 0025-326X
VL - 215
JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin
JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin
M1 - 117865
ER -
