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Coastlines are vital to our world's ecology and economy. Coastal ecosystems help maintain biodiversity, provide natural barriers against erosion, storms, and flooding, and act as large carbon sinks to reduce greenhouse gases. Sustainable fisheries and seaside tourist venues support local economies.

Natural coastlines, including coral reefs, marshes, and mangroves, are complete and stable, capable of self-regulation and restoration. That is, unless human interventions, such as urbanization, overdevelopment, pollution, and human-made erosion, make these areas vulnerable to devastation.

Artificial coastlines, including human-made dikes and other engineered constructions, can help prevent erosion and protect from storms and flooding. However, ecological functions remain unprotected from many of these structures.

In Biointerphases, researchers from Southeast University and the University of Chinese Academy of Science investigated the use of specialized types of cement for coastline ecological protection.

"New substrate materials need to be developed to reduce the biological toxicity effects on marine organisms," said author Xiaolin Lu.

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