Floating development has become more known in recent years, however, there is still a lack of research studies addressing potential impacts of such innovative constructions on the aquatic systems.
Indymo, the sister company of Blue21, has been doing ecological monitoring using underwater drones. Its recent findings have been published in the paper “Impacts of floating urbanization on water quality and aquatic ecosystems: a study based on in situ data and observation” by Rui de Lima et al. (2022).
A total of 18 locations with different types of floating structures were considered in this study. Results show small differences in the measured parameters. The magnitudes of these differences seem to be linked with the characteristics and type of water system. Given the wide variety and types of water bodies considered in this study, results suggest that water quality is not critically affected by the presence of the floating houses. Underwater images of biofouling and filter feeders illustrate the lively ecosystems that can emerge shortly after the construction of floating buildings.
The full article is available for download here.
Indymo continues the ecological monitoring work of floating structures in several locations, including a few floating solar projects in the Netherlands. More results will be published and shared. Stay tuned!
Learn about Indymo here.
