The Tees Rivers Trust (TeRT) joined forces with the Environment
Agency, Middlesbrough Development Corporation, Middlesbrough
Council and bp on the work.
The islands, designed by Biomatrix Water, were installed at
Middlehaven Dock in Middlesbrough.
They are created from modular units with a total surface area of
180 square metres (around 600 square foot), a format which allows
the islands to be created in different shapes.
The new floating islands are pre-seeded with native plants and
will provide a ‘haven in the haven' for wildlife including
insects, birds, molluscs and fish in an area where little natural
habitat exists. The new ecosystem will also provide shelter for
juvenile and migrating fish.
Elsewhere on the walls of the dock, Tees Rivers Trust will
install artificial rock pools that offer a simple and versatile
solution for creating new wildlife habitats on existing
structures.
These features have been used in other locations across the North
East and are an innovative solution to provide ecological
enhancement.
This work is funded by the Environment Agency and bp.
Features will provide ‘great new habitat'
Ben Lamb CEO, Tees Rivers Trust, said:
Although this project is literally a drop in the ocean, the
features that have been installed in the Middlehaven Dock will
provide some great new habitat for animals and plants in, on and
around the river to colonise.
Initiatives such as this make places better for people to live
and work in, which in turn helps support economic growth and the
wider benefits that brings to local communities.
Liz Walters, Project Manager from the Environment Agency, said:
Creating artificial habitats is an innovative solution which
provides an opportunity for nature to thrive in an area where
little natural habitat remains.
This work is a great example of local partners joining forces to
bring shelter and food for fish and wildlife and support
improvements to water quality and biodiversity.
The project is part of the Trust's Estuary
Edges project, which sits alongside a programme of river
estuary restoration on the Tees.
Working in partnership and using nature-based solutions, it will
improve sites across Teesside for local people and businesses,
whilst providing employment.
