Could floating breakwaters become part of Curaçao’s future coastal-protection strategy?

Over the past months, Blue21 has explored this question through a feasibility study for a floating breakwater at Marie Pampoen. The project combined hydrodynamic modelling, preliminary engineering, environmental assessment, economic analysis and extensive engagement with local stakeholders.

The objective was not to prove that a floating breakwater would automatically be cheaper or environmentally preferable to a conventional fixed structure. The central question was more fundamental: can a floating breakwater provide meaningful wave attenuation under Curaçao’s demanding wave, reef and ecological conditions?   

A Curaçao specific concept 

The study evaluated several floating-breakwater configurations and developed a site-specific truss-connected catamaran concept.

The system consists of two floating concrete pontoons connected by a submerged steel truss. The open central corridor improves water exchange and reduces the continuous shaded footprint compared with a closed box-type structure. The submerged truss may also offer opportunities for future ecological integration, for example as part of a carefully managed coral nursery pilot.

Hydrodynamic modelling showed that the concept can achieve meaningful wave-energy reduction directly behind the structure. However, shoreline-scale modelling also demonstrated that some of this benefit is lost as waves travel across the reef terrace. The level of shoreline protection therefore depends not only on the structure itself, but also on its location, orientation, distance from shore and interaction with the reef system.

Learning from Curaçao

Local knowledge was essential throughout the study. During two visits to Curaçao, we met with government representatives, marine researchers, diving schools, coastal specialists and coral-nursery organisations. These discussions helped us better understand the physical conditions at Marie Pampoen, the ecological sensitivity of the reef and the wider challenge of developing long-term coastal-resilience strategies for the island.

The study also highlighted important risks associated with pile installation, construction activities and long-term shading in the coral habitat. The environmental suitability of Marie Pampoen therefore remains conditional, and other lower-risk sandy pocket-beach locations should also be assessed for an initial pilot.

From feasibility to a controlled pilot  

The study concludes that the concept is promising enough for further pilot development.

A controlled and carefully monitored pilot would be needed to validate:

• hydraulic performance in Curaçao’s demanding wave environment;
• structural behaviour and installation methods;
• ecological effects and opportunities;
• shoreline response over time;

The pilot should be treated as a learning platform: a way to test where and under what conditions an adaptable floating structure can contribute to coastal protection.

A broader coastal-resilience strategy

One of the clearest conclusions of the study is that no single intervention can provide complete long-term coastal resilience. Floating breakwaters may help address wave-driven coastal exposure, but long-term resilience will also require shoreline adaptation, resilient infrastructure planning, improved water quality and coral-reef restoration. 

The next step is therefore not immediate construction, but informed pilot preparation: selecting the right location, confirming the ecological and technical conditions, and establishing the local ownership and funding needed to move from feasibility to evidence. The study clarifies where floating breakwaters may contribute, and what must still be demonstrated before they can form part of Curaçao’s long-term coastal-resilience approach.