Transforming ports into agents of environmental regeneration and the fight against climate change is the objective of the OASIS project, developed by the Spanish company Ocean Ecostructures and which the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will implement in the general interest ports of Eivissa and soon in Palma.

This innovative technology makes it possible to transform grey marine infrastructures into blue oases, regenerating biodiversity and recovering the capacity of the seas to absorb CO₂. Thus, thanks to a calcium carbonate or mineral coating attached to the quays or breakwaters - known as LifeSkin - a biofauna will be generated that will reduce CO₂ by compensation.

OASIS has been selected to receive a grant of 566,000 euros in the form of a commercial project under the Ports 4.0 plan to promote entrepreneurship for innovation in the port sector. Initially, 40 units will be installed in the port of Barcelona and 15 in the ports of Palma and Eivissa.

The APB, as a facilitating agent, will provide the facilities and equipment to install the necessary units for the project in the agreed areas and collaborate in its execution, participating in the results obtained.

We will work with different location profiles (depths, turbidity levels and quality, currents...) and with different types of substrates (material, texture and shape). This will enable us to identify the best solutions for each type of environment, resulting in a segmentation of ports and design profiles.

Environmental regeneration

It has been demonstrated that this calcium carbonate cover is the optimum substrate for the repopulation of specific species, such as sponges, cystoseira, posidonia or gorgonians, among others, as well as a refuge for other species, and even a breeding area. It thus becomes a first-rate environmental regeneration tool whose versatility allows it to be applied to any marine infrastructure.