In a growing trend that seeks to blend art with environmental restoration, a water filtration project was created along a 575-foot sea-walled stretch of the / Intracoastal Waterway in South Florida.

The “Living Shoreline” featured a half-moon-shaped porous concrete planter for mangrove trees whose exposed root system naturally serves as a fish nursery. The planter is flanked on both sides by long shelves set at the optimum water level on the lagoon’s seawall to grow oyster beds. The concrete structures were precast offsite with variable thicknesses, shapes, and concrete finishes. All reinforcing consisted of glass fiber reinforcing bars due to the thinness of the structure and highly corrosive environment.