From nursery to meadow
Designing a biodegradable restoration system to help Zostera noltii re-establishment in the Dutch Wadden Sea
S. Giaccone (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
C.A. Bakker – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
P. Bos – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
Anne Hendriks – Mentor
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Abstract
Coastal ecosystems occupy less than 4% of the Earth’s surface yet deliver ecological functions far exceeding their size. Among these, seagrass meadows have suffered severe global decline; in the Dutch Wadden Sea, Zostera noltii has been functionally absent since the 1970s. Active restoration remains constrained by two persistent bottlenecks: limited donor material and high post-transplant mortality.
This thesis examines seagrass restoration as a continuous process rather than a single field intervention. Through a literature review, participant observation during a Z. noltii transplantation on Ameland, and visits to seagrass nursery facilities, the project identifies a gap that existing restoration research does not address: the transition between nursery cultivation, transport, and field installation, during which the plant is repeatedly handled and mechanically disturbed.
Following the Double Diamond framework, four prototypes were developed and evaluated in a purpose-built flume tank against BESE elements, the current benchmark for emergent trait mimicry. The resulting design is a two-component biodegradable system in PHA: a cone tray in which seagrass is cultivated, transported and planted without root extraction, and a spiral that stabilises sediment and is installed by rocking rather than excavation.
Flume testing showed comparable sediment protection to BESE with a distinct spatial distribution, deflecting scour and deposition away from the planting zone. Field testing confirmed full installation in muddy sediment in 20 seconds, a condition in which BESE could not be installed at all without digging. Biological validation across a full growing season remains the essential next step.