BESE coastal restoration with biodegradable structures

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The BESE pilot tests biodegradable structures designed to support the restoration of oyster reefs and salt marshes along the coast of Florida. By providing temporary support for ecosystem recovery and gradually degrading as nature takes over, the innovation aims to offer an alternative to permanent artificial restoration materials.

Facts

Project type PfW Subsidy Project
Country United States (Florida)
Partners BESE B.V. · Bato Plastics B.V. · Rodenburg Biobased Institute · NIOZ · University of Central Florida · University of Florida
Themes Ecosystem restoration · Nature-based Solutions · Coastal protection · Biobased innovation
Duration 1 June 2024 – 31 December 2026
SDGs SDG 6 · SDG 13 · SDG 14

The project is funded through the Partners for Water programme and has a total budget of €242,446.

Giving nature a temporary helping hand

Oyster reefs and salt marshes play an important role in healthy coastal ecosystems. Restoring these degraded habitats, however, often requires a structure that gives organisms the stability and time they need to establish themselves.

BESE has developed biodegradable structures that are designed to perform precisely this temporary role. Rather than remaining permanently in the ecosystem, the structures provide a foundation on which organisms can settle and grow. As the ecosystem becomes established, the material gradually biodegrades, leaving space for the restored habitat to develop independently.

Previous research in Florida has already demonstrated the potential of biodegradable BESE materials for oyster reef restoration. The current Partners for Water pilot takes the technology a step further by testing a new generation of the product under field conditions and assessing its potential for both oyster reefs and salt marshes.

The objectives

The pilot aims to validate the performance of the new BESE-elements type 3 before potential larger-scale application. The new generation combines two innovations: a new material based on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable biopolymer, and a new geometric design intended to help reduce erosion.

The field trials investigate whether the structures:

biodegrade as intended under coastal conditions;
enable oysters to successfully settle and develop;
allow salt marsh roots to establish within the structures;
help limit erosion;
remain sufficiently stable under dynamic coastal conditions without fragmenting.

Together, these tests will provide insight into whether the innovation can offer an effective biodegradable tool for coastal ecosystem restoration.

The approach

Two field experiments have been established in Florida, each testing the technology in a different coastal ecosystem. One pilot focuses on oyster reef restoration at Mosquito Lagoon, while the other tests salt marsh restoration near St. Augustine.

Since the field trials began in Florida in 2025, the new BESE-elements have been tested for degradation rate, erosion reduction and ecosystem restoration. The first results are promising. In Indian River Lagoon, work by the University of Central Florida has resulted in a fully developed oyster reef growing on a structure of BESE-elements and recycled oyster shells. The reef now functions as a natural breakwater and creates favourable conditions for mangrove development.

The development of the new BESE structures has also generated important insights. The innovative PHA-based materials were found to biodegrade completely within one year under marine conditions. While this confirms their suitability for natural degradation at sea, a longer lifespan is desirable to provide ecosystems with sufficient time to recover. An improved version is therefore being developed with an expected degradation period of two to five years.

BESE and its partners demonstrate how biodegradable structures can support ecosystem recovery and strengthen natural coastal protection.

Brenda Deden

Project Lead for the Partners for Water project at BESE

The team

The project brings together six partners, combining expertise in biodegradable materials, product development, manufacturing, marine ecology and coastal ecosystem restoration.

BESE B.V. develops and implements biodegradable structures to protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems. Through its technology, BESE contributes to the recovery of natural habitats and helps combat coastal erosion.
Rodenburg Biobased Institute was involved in the development of BESE-elements from the outset. The company specialises in the research, development and production of biodegradable biopolymers. Its expertise in developing and modifying biopolymer compounds enables the creation and production of sustainable products.
Bato Plastics B.V. manufactures and supplies injection-moulded plastic products worldwide. Within the project, the company produces the new generation of BESE-elements through injection moulding, using biodegradable biopolymer compounds developed by Rodenburg Biobased Institute and a mould designed by BESE.
NIOZ (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) conducts marine research in Dutch and international waters. Within the Partners for Water project, NIOZ works with BESE to investigate how marine species respond to the new generation of BESE-elements and how the structures help protect their habitats.
University of Florida – Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) brings together scientists from different disciplines to develop innovative solutions to coastal challenges. Drawing on its expertise in ecological restoration, CCS plays an important role in the project by supporting the installation and monitoring of the new generation of BESE-elements at the Florida pilot site.
University of Central Florida (UCF) studies the effects of human activities on marine ecosystems, with a particular focus on the Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s east coast. Within the Partners for Water project, UCF tests and investigates the new generation of BESE-elements in this area, focusing on degradation rates and oyster reef establishment.

RVO’s project database additionally lists Innofunding B.V. and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency among the project partners.

First results and next steps

Field trials in Florida are testing the new BESE-elements for degradation rate, erosion reduction and ecosystem restoration.
The PHA-based material tested so far biodegraded completely within one year under marine conditions.
A fully developed oyster reef has grown on a structure of BESE-elements and recycled oyster shells in Indian River Lagoon, where it now functions as a natural breakwater and supports conditions for mangrove development.
The material is being further developed to achieve a longer functional lifespan, with a target degradation period of two to five years.
Further monitoring will provide additional evidence on ecological performance, erosion reduction and the potential for larger-scale application.
The project is generating greater insight into the potential of biodegradable, temporary structures as an alternative to permanent artificial materials in coastal ecosystem restoration.

Why it matters

Coastal restoration often faces a paradox: artificial structures can help damaged ecosystems recover, but the materials used to support that recovery may remain behind in the environment.

The BESE approach is designed to overcome this problem by making the restoration structure temporary. The material supports the ecosystem during its vulnerable early stages and then gradually biodegrades as oysters, vegetation and other organisms take over. If the new material and design perform as intended, the pilot could help demonstrate a way of restoring coastal ecosystems in which the intervention ultimately makes itself redundant.

Innovation in Progress series

BESE features in Partners for Water’s ongoing Innovation in Progress series. Throughout this series, Partners for Water closely follows a selection of projects that have received a Partners for Water subsidy, from start to finish. Over the coming years, these projects will take you with them on their journey of testing the feasibility or application of innovative solutions to enhance water security abroad – including their processes, collaborations with local partners, potential solutions, and the struggles, challenges and lessons learned along the way.