Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Biobased ‘Xiriton’ Passes Early Field and Lab Tests for Coastal Restoration

Field blocks showed heavy colonization by oysters, mussels, algae after a year.

Overview

  • NIOZ researchers report results in Frontiers in Marine Science after testing multiple formulations made from local grasses, pozzolan, slaked lime, shells, sand and seawater.
  • On a Yerseke mudflat, blocks endured twice-daily tides and reached about 70% biological cover within twelve months.
  • The material recorded a pH of roughly 8–9 favorable for marine settlers and is designed to capture CO2 versus conventional concrete.
  • In Fast Flow Fume trials, coffee-cup-molded pieces withstood 63 days of strong currents, matching the strength of Roman-cement alternatives.
  • The team plans follow-up studies on tunable lifetimes and larger wave-breaking applications, emphasizing the approach is promising but still experimental.