Anne Kleine Vennekate

Due to eutrophication, overfishing, pollution, rising temperatures, and dredging, natural habitats in the Baltic Sea have been destroyed over the last decades, and many populations have declined. To regain biodiversity and important ecosystems, we need to make a change now. One way to restore these natural habitats is to imitate them by using artificial structures that promote certain species.

My degree project was developed in close cooperation with marine biologists, and the focus lies on designing structures for bladderwrack, blue mussels, and smaller fish. These modular structures can be placed on existing marine infrastructure or on the seabed and can create large three-dimensional surfaces.

This degree project also aims to raise awareness of the situation in the Baltic Sea. The impact of the structures is limited, and additional environmental protection and political decisions in favour of the Baltic Sea are still important.