Making Space for nature on the straits: Living Sea Walls Project

This year the North Wales Rivers Trust installed Living Sea Walls, a nature-based solution bringing biodiversity back to our hard coastlines. Installed at three sites along the Menai Strait, these specially designed concrete panels mimic the cracks, crevices, and textures of natural rocky shores, giving marine life a better chance to thrive.

Traditional sea defences are smooth and lifeless for wildlife. Living Sea Walls offer an alternative — blending coastal protection with habitat creation. We’re excited to see what species choose to call these new structures home over the coming months!

This project has brought people together. Volunteers and Bangor University students have been out monitoring the sites, collecting water quality data and looking out for early signs of marine life moving in.

Meanwhile, local schools have joined in through hands-on workshops, crafting their own marine-inspired clay tiles and learning about the rich ecosystems of the Menai Strait.

This project was funded by LNPCymru, Cyngor Ynys Mon and Cyngor Gwynedd and for more information please visit northwalesriverstrust.org