Final monitoring results confirm quantifiable ecological gains at the ECOncrete site compared to the rock control. eDNA analysis showed significantly higher metazoan diversity around the ECOncrete units (Shannon index 4.0 vs. 3.2) and a higher relative abundance of copepods (10.5% vs. 2.4%), an important food source for juvenile fish. Fish species that depend on sheltering habitat, such as rock gunnel and cunner, made up 34.1% of fish eDNA at the ECOncrete site and were not detected at the rock control. Black sea bass, used as an indicator of local prey availability, had a significantly more diverse diet at the ECOncrete site. Overall catch diversity and evenness were also higher there. Overall community composition was driven mainly by season, but these taxon-specific differences consistently favour the nature-inclusive design.

The results demonstrate that the studied nature-inclusive scour protection system creates intentional habitats that different organisms use to settle and grow and show more biological accumulation compared to the rocks. The study shows that the interlocking design of ECOncrete scour protection units forms a complex system creating favorable habitats and niches for a wide range of organisms, especially for oysters and clams, supporting ecosystem development within the scour protection system.  

Data from multi-beam surveys with 13 months difference including all 2024 storm events, show no movement of the ECOncrete units. These data align with the results from 3D physical model tests conducted at the COB of Gent University on a movable (sandy) seabed in which the ECOncrete scour protection system around a monopile on top of a movable seabed was submitted to severe wave loads simulating real prototype conditions in the Atlantic and North Sea demonstrating great hydraulic stability. 

These results unlock new opportunities for the offshore supply chain by providing validation for an innovative, locally sourced NID scour protection solution, which acts as a full or complementary armor layer for offshore structures to reduce their ecological footprint on marine ecosystems, create opportunities for biodiversity enhancement, and benefit fisheries. 

• Proven structural NID solutions: Based on the findings from this project, ECOncrete recommends that NID innovators conduct 3D physical model tests to define the structural functionality of eco-engineered scour protection units, optimize the scour protection system, and meet applicable international standards and good practices.
• Proven Biological enhancement creation: With this project’s results in mind, ECOncrete recommends that NID innovators conduct biological monitoring programs to assess the biological enhancement of the scour protection system.
• Reduce the embodied carbon footprint of offshore structures: One of the main challenges for this project was to reduce its overall carbon footprint. As a solution, ECOncrete used low-carbon concrete mixes during the construction of the units to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of the scour protection infrastructure.
• Prioritize local production and materials: It is also important to consider local content requirements of projects and enable local supply chains. For example, the units for this project were locally produced using standard concrete casting procedures, leveraging local workmanship. This reduces production time, shipping costs, and carbon emissions.
• Design NID solution for multiple applications: ECOncrete’s scour protection solution can also be leveraged to optimize the design of  ‘rock berm’ for Cable Protection Systems.