Structure for planting marine plants

Abstract

The invention relates to a structure for planting rhizomes or marine plants on seabeds, comprising: at least one body (10, 20), which in turn comprises: a flat lower surface (6) intended for contacting the seabed, an upper surface (1) with rounded edges (3), and an outer side wall (2) connecting the lower surface (6) to the upper surface (1), where said outer side walls have a sinuous configuration provided with recesses (5) and projections (4), such that each recess (5) is arranged between two projections (4) and vice versa. The body (10, 20) also comprises a series of through-cavities (7) defined between the upper surface (1) and the lower surface (6), intended for housing the rhizomes or plants.

Description

[0001] STRUCTURE FOR PLANTING MARINE PLANTS

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present invention pertains to the field of marine flora, specifically to a structure for the efficient and effective planting of marine plants on the seabed. The invention is based on the design and implementation of versatile structures that facilitate the planting, rooting, and growth of marine plants (such as seagrasses, among others) in various types of marine substrates, such as dead-mat beds, sandy or rocky bottoms, and others.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Currently, planting marine plants on the seabed is complex, as is ensuring their persistence once planted, especially in dynamic marine environments. This poses a significant obstacle to the restoration and conservation of marine flora. This is particularly relevant for seagrasses (vascular plants that produce seeds and are crucial for the health of the marine environment), which are highly sensitive to stress caused by underwater currents and have difficulty rooting in the seabed, as they tend to detach from the seabed after planting.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need in the state of the art to provide new solutions that help overcome these problems of planting and conserving marine plants, especially because the marine planting methods known in the state of the art are laborious, costly and often inefficient.

[0007] In order to overcome the limitations of conventional marine plant planting methods known in the field, the present invention provides a structure that allows for both the planting and persistence of marine plants on seabeds in a simple, stable, and efficient manner. The specific advantages that this marine plant planting structure offers compared to conventional marine planting methods are numerous and significant, and are described throughout. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention relates to a structure designed for the planting, growth, and preservation of marine plants on all types of seabeds, where the structure provides a stable and adaptable platform. Once installed, the structure remains positioned on the seabed, maintaining its position and exerting pressure on the planted elements, facilitating their rooting and protecting the plants from currents.

[0009] The structure for planting rhizomes or marine plants on the seabed comprises at least one body, and said body in turn comprises: a flat lower surface intended to contact the seabed, an upper surface with rounded edges, an external side wall joining the lower surface to the upper surface, of sinuous configuration provided with indentations and protrusions, and a series of through cavities defined between the upper surface and the lower surface, intended to house the rhizomes or plants.

[0010] According to the invention, a plant is understood to be a seedling, propagule, or fragment of marine phanerogams or similar plants, intended for planting on seabeds, which may be dead mats, sandy bottoms, rocky bottoms, or any other type of seabed. Once the structure is installed, the marine plants are in contact with the seabed, and the cavities allow the plant to grow from the seabed where it roots down to the water. This ensures that as the marine plant grows over time, it becomes increasingly rooted in the seabed, thus planting each individual rhizome and increasing its stability there.

[0011] The structure's body anchors the plants to the seabed using its weight. When the structure is in place, the root portion is positioned between the lower surface and the seabed, with the rest of the plant oriented within the cavity. This prevents the plant from being removed without first removing the structure, and the plant's roots remain pressed against and protected from the seabed.

[0012] Ideally, the structure is placed on the seabed and acts as a physical barrier, preventing ships' anchors from sinking into the seabed sediment and damaging the planted vegetation. It also prevents the plants from becoming entangled in anchors or animals and being uprooted, thus protecting the surrounding environment and securing them to the seabed.

[0013] Since the structure must not move, its density is greater than that of the water in which it is to be submerged. This allows the structure to sink under its own weight and remain in contact with the seabed, ensuring its stability—that is, a fixed position. The structure's weight and density must be sufficient to prevent displacement by water currents or the buoyancy exerted by some marine species.

[0014] The external side walls of the structure form at least part of its perimeter and represent the first line of contact between the structure and ocean currents. These side walls attenuate the intensity of the currents, dampening them by deflecting them and thus reducing the hydrodynamic stress to which the plant is subjected. Furthermore, they improve the plant's stability on the seabed, preventing damage to its root system and enhancing its growth, since ocean currents can both uproot the plant and hinder its proper development.

[0015] Also, the rounded edges deflect the direction of impact of the underwater current on the upper surface of the structures.

[0016] The cavities in the structure can have any distribution and shape, such as circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, alveolar, free, etc. In any case, the cavities are through-and-through between the upper and lower surfaces.

[0017] Optionally, the cavities can have a cross-sectional area between 10 cm 2 and 400 cm 2 This allows the cavity area to be large enough to accommodate the plants, while not being so large as to cause unwanted hydrodynamic effects that could impair rooting, growth, or even survival. Ideally, the surface area of ​​the hole is between 30 cm² and 10 cm². 2 and 120 cm 2 , which achieves a greater minimization of hydrodynamic effects.

[0018] Additionally, the structure can be formed by multiple bodies in contact with each other, distributed across the seabed, with the structure's size varying depending on the number of bodies it comprises. This allows the group of bodies forming the structure to act collectively, reinforcing the structures' anchorage against the hydrodynamic effects of ocean currents.

[0019] In one possible embodiment, the body can be symmetrical, and its upper and lower surfaces have a quasi-circular geometry, where the height of the outer side walls is less than the diameter of the upper and lower surfaces. Therefore, the body has a laminar shape, comprising a plurality of cavities to house the plants, allowing for easy handling and arrangement to form the structure.

[0020] In this quasi-circular configuration, the cavities can be distributed, for example, in a first, inner, circumferential group and a second, concentric, outer, circumferential group with a larger diameter than the first. The cavities in the first group will typically be larger than those in the second group, allowing the first group to accommodate more or larger plants, as these will be better protected from ocean currents than the plants in the second group. In large bodies or those with small cavities, additional concentric groupings could be incorporated on outer circumferences.

[0021] Furthermore, the distribution of cavities along the structure can follow a repetitive pattern, which can be linear, hexagonal, radial, orthogonal mesh, or irregular network. This repetitive pattern and cavity distribution allows for a homogeneous distribution of planting density, simplifies manufacturing, and prevents cracking and fragmentation of the structure during handling.

[0022] Alternatively, in another possible embodiment, the body may consist of two elongated sections of matching configuration, facing each other and / or joined together. Each section is formed by the outer side wall, where the indentations and projections are defined. The projections of one section face and are in contact with the projections of the other section, and the indentations of both sections face each other, defining the cavities between them. In this way, the structure is formed by bodies that are themselves formed by two elongated sections.

[0023] This configuration of the body in elongated sections allows each section to be a continuous piece without internal cavities, thus avoiding manufacturing problems. The cavities in the body that house the plants are formed between the recesses of the two opposing elongated sections. This allows for easy handling using elements smaller than the complete body, as well as simplifying manufacturing.

[0024] Since structures can be formed by at least two bodies, these bodies can be arranged in the same plane in a lateral and enveloping arrangement, such that the projections of the external side walls of one body fit into the recesses of the external side walls of another. In this way, the side walls of one body are in contact with the side walls of the adjacent body, without any intervening spaces.

[0025] Alternatively, the bodies can be arranged in a plane, with their external lateral walls in collateral contact. Projections of one body's external lateral walls may be in contact with projections of one of the other body's lateral walls, and recesses of one body's external lateral walls may be opposite recesses of another body's external lateral wall, thus defining cavities between them. In this way, additional cavities are formed between two adjacent bodies within the structure.

[0026] Regarding the structural material, this could be a cementitious material such as Portland cement, composite Portland cement, pozzolanic cement, slag cement, aluminous cement, among others. These materials have sufficient density and weight to be stable on the seabed, while also allowing for good performance and integration into the environment.

[0027] Additionally, the structure's material could be any submersible material capable of disintegrating in water due to erosion, such as compacted mixed substrates. Disintegrating means that, over time, the material naturally breaks down in the water, allowing the structure to gradually degrade until it disappears completely, once the plants have taken root in the seabed. This would eliminate the need to remove the structure once the plants have established themselves, and avoid any handling that could harm the plants.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the structure material can maintain its integrity underwater for at least six months, the estimated minimum time required for plant rooting, without disintegrating. After this time, the structure begins to disintegrate and disappear from the seabed, thus eliminating the need for physical removal after the marine plants have been planted. This avoids causing mechanical stress to the marine plants, which could be damaged or even killed by the stress of physically removing the structure, and also avoids the removal process and its associated costs.

[0029] Additionally, there may also be other elements attached to the structure itself, such as anchoring elements designed to secure the body to the seabed. These elements reinforce the structure's anchorage and prevent unwanted movements caused by marine dynamics. This allows for greater adaptability of the structure to the seabed type and local climatic conditions.

[0030] The structure can also incorporate individual fasteners, such as hemp rope, wire, or biodegradable cable ties, to attach the plants one by one to the frame. The fasteners can be biodegradable, taking into account their rate of degradation to ensure their functionality for the time required for the planted elements to take root.

[0031] The structure can also incorporate a collective or group fastening element, such as a biodegradable mesh or fabric, designed to attach all the plants simultaneously and collectively to the main body. This fastening element can be biodegradable, taking into account its rate of degradation to ensure its functionality for the time required to achieve root establishment.

[0032] These fixing elements allow the plants to be secured to the structure; they remain fixed during transport, handling, and installation of the structure, and for the time necessary until the plants have rooted on the seabed. If they are also biodegradable, they would not need to be removed when the structure is taken down from the seabed because they would already be decomposed.

[0033] Optionally, the underside of the structure incorporates grooves extending from cavities for securing rhizomes or plants. These grooves facilitate the placement and orientation of the lower part of the plant during the securing and / or installation of the structure, and throughout the time required for the plant to take root on the seabed. In this way, the lower part of the plant can be positioned in the groove so that the structure presses this part against the seabed in a controlled manner.

[0034] The cavities can have a surface area of ​​between 10 cm 2 and 400 cm 2 and more preferably between 30 cm 2 and 120 cm 2These dimensions allow the plants and structure to be protected in such a way that the cavity area is large enough to accommodate the plants, while not being excessively large to prevent unwanted hydrodynamic effects from harming the rooting, growth, or even survival of the plant.

[0035] In this way, the structure of the invention avoids stress on the plants from underwater water currents, and allows these plants to take root on the seabed.

[0036] Another advantage of the structure is that its surface area and its configuration by the bodies that compose it allow its adaptation to the specific characteristics of the seabed where it is intended to be installed, which improves the efficiency and resilience of the planting process.

[0037] The distribution of the cavities also allows for high planting densities and a significant improvement in the conservation and restoration of seagrass meadows, accelerating and effectively recovering the natural capital and ecosystem resources of the area. All of this makes the use of this structure for planting marine plants an economical and safe process, while also allowing for high versatility and scalability in the planting process. The potential applications of the structure range from the restoration of declining seagrass meadows, preferably marine flowering plants, to the creation of new habitats for marine biodiversity, the protection of coastlines against coastal erosion, and the mitigation of climate change by sequestering carbon in marine ecosystems.Furthermore, the versatility and scalability of the technology make it adaptable to different scales and contexts, from local conservation projects to regional or international initiatives for the restoration of marine ecosystems.

[0038] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] To complement the description being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, a set of drawings is included as an integral part of said description, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

[0040] Figure 1.- Shows a bottom perspective view of a first embodiment of the body of the structure of the invention with the plants fixed.

[0041] Figure 2.- Shows a top perspective view of the body in Figure 1.

[0042] Figure 3.- Shows a top perspective view of the structure formed by a plurality of bodies according to the first embodiment.

[0043] Figure 4.- Shows a perspective view of the first realization fixed to the seabed.

[0044] Figure 5.- Shows a top perspective view of the first implementation with the plants fixed

[0045] Figures 6 and 7 show respectively top and bottom perspective views of an elongated section that forms the body according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0046] Figure 8.- Shows a top perspective view of the structure formed by a plurality of bodies according to the second embodiment.

[0047] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0048] The following describes two preferred embodiments of a structure for planting rhizomes or marine plants on seabeds, which is the object of this invention.

[0049] In both embodiments represented in figures 1 to 5 and 6 to 8, the structure comprises at least one body (10, 20) which in turn comprises; a flat lower surface (6) intended to contact the seabed, an upper surface (1) with rounded edges (3) and an external side wall (2) joining the lower surface (6) with the upper surface (1), wherein said external side walls are of a sinuous configuration provided with indentations (5) and protrusions (4), such that each indentation (5) is arranged between two protrusions (4) and vice versa.

[0050] The body (10, 20) also comprises a series of through cavities (7) defined between the upper surface (1) and the lower surface (6), intended to house the rhizomes or plants.

[0051] In the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the body (10) of the structure is symmetrical, and its upper (1) and lower (6) surfaces have a quasi-circular geometry, as seen in its underside view, where the height of the external side walls (2) is less than the diameter of the upper (1) and lower (6) surfaces. In this embodiment, the side walls (2) have six recesses (5) and six protrusions (4), although this number, as well as their geometry, could vary.

[0052] In this embodiment, the cavities (7) are distributed in a first circumferential or internal grouping (12) and in a second circumferential or external grouping (13), concentric and of larger diameter than the first circumferential grouping (12). The cavities (7) of the first grouping (12) are larger to accommodate more plants than the cavities (7) of the second grouping (13), since the plants in the cavities (7) of the second grouping (13) are more exposed to ocean currents.

[0053] In Fig. 1, the fastening elements (8) are hemp rope, metal wire, or biodegradable cable ties designed to attach the rhizomes or plants to the body (10) by securing the plants inside the cavities (7). Additionally, grooves (9) on the lower surface (6) between the cavities (7) facilitate the attachment of the plants to the body (10). In this way, the fastening elements (8) can optionally secure the plants to the body (10) before the structure is installed on the seabed, allowing for faster and more secure installation.

[0054] The structure shown in Fig. 3 comprises more than one body (10) according to the first embodiment, where said bodies (10) are distributed in the same plane in a lateral and enveloping arrangement, such that the projections (4) of the lateral walls (2) of one body (10) fit into the recesses (5) of the lateral walls (2) of another body (10). In this way, the structure covers an indeterminate surface area depending on the number of bodies (10) arranged on the seabed, so that the structure adapts to irregular geometries of the terrain.

[0055] Likewise, in Fig. 4, the body (10) on the seabed comprises an anchoring element (15) intended to fix the body (10) to the seabed. Said anchoring element (15) is of various shapes, among them the anchoring element (15) is in the shape of an inverted “U” that surrounds at least a part of the body (10) between cavities (7) and drives its ends into the seabed thus preventing displacement of the body (10).

[0056] In Fig. 5, the plant attachment elements (8) are collective or grouped, in the form of a mesh or fabric positioned beneath the body (10). This mesh or fabric is interwoven with the plants and positioned on the lower surface (6), i.e., beneath the body (10). The plants protrude through the cavities (7) as they root, and in a preferred embodiment, the attachment element (8) is biodegradable, thus eliminating the need to remove it from the seabed.

[0057] Figures 6 and 7 show a second embodiment in which the body (20), in this case, is formed by two elongated sections (11) of matching configuration, facing each other and joined together. Each of the sections (11) comprises the external side wall (2), of sinuous configuration provided with indentations (5) and projections (4), in which the projections (4) of one section (11) face each other and are in contact with the projections (4) of the other section (11), and in which the indentations (5) of both sections (11) face each other, delimiting each of the cavities (7).

[0058] The two joined elongated sections (11) form the body (20), comprising the upper surface (1), the lower surface (6), the cavities (7), and the side wall (2) that joins both surfaces. The cavities (7) are arranged between the two elongated sections (11) in the shape of the two indentations (5) that define said cavity (7). Therefore, the cavities (7) have a longitudinal pattern along the body (20).

[0059] In Fig. 7, the lower surface (6) of the body (20) incorporates grooves (9) extending from cavities (7) to facilitate the attachment of rhizomes or plants. These grooves (9) position the lower part of the plant within the body (20), so that the weight of the body (10) presses the plant against the seabed. The rest of the plant is housed within the cavity (7) while it roots, thus growing protected by the structure.

[0060] In the structure shown in Fig. 8, the bodies (20) are distributed in a plane, with said bodies (20) arranged in collateral contact by their external lateral walls (2). In this distribution, the projections (4) of one of the external lateral walls (2) of one body (20) are in contact with the projections (4) of one of the lateral walls (2) of the other body (20), and the recesses (5) of one of the external lateral walls (2) of one body (20) are opposite the recesses (5) of another external lateral wall (2) of the other body (20), delimiting cavities (7) between bodies (10).

[0061] The arrangement of the bodies (10,20) in a plane to form the structure depends on the outer side wall (2), so both embodiments can be arranged according to the arrangements shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 8. Therefore, the bodies (10,20), by means of the outer side walls (2) in contact, are arranged so that the projections (4) of one body (10,20) are inserted into the recesses (5) of another body (10,20) or the projections (4) and recesses (5) of one body (10,20) face those of another body (10,20).

[0062] It is optionally provided that the upper surface (1) includes a rounded edge (3) with a radius of curvature between 1 cm and 10 cm. This increases plant protection by reducing stress from hydrodynamic effects, thereby further promoting plant stability and growth on the seabed. Additionally, the resistant section of the structure's body (10, 20) may optionally have a cross-sectional area between 4 cm² and 10 cm². 2 and 100 cm 2 , preferably between 15 cm 2 and 25 cm 2 and even more preferably 20 cm 2This ensures that the body walls (10,20) between cavities (7) or between the cavity (7) and the side walls (2) are sufficiently strong (without being excessively thick) to maintain the structure's structural integrity, thus limiting the use of internal or external reinforcement elements. For example, by reducing the use of metal reinforcement or fibers.

[0063] Preferably, the body walls (10,20) of the structure may have a length between 3 cm and 30 cm, preferably between 8 cm and 15 cm, and even more preferably 10 cm. This ensures that the body walls (10,20) between cavities (7) or between the cavity (7) and the side walls (2) are strong and of adequate length for the structure to fulfill its function and maintain its structural integrity.

[0064] The fixing elements (8) such as the anchor (15), although not shown in the figures of the second embodiment, are applicable in the second embodiment just as in the first for the bodies (10,20).

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Structure for planting rhizomes or marine plants on the seabed comprising at least one body (10, 20), which in turn comprises: a flat lower surface (6) intended to contact the seabed, an upper surface (1) with rounded edges (3), an external side wall (2) joining the lower surface (6) with the upper surface (1), of sinuous configuration provided with indentations (5) and protrusions (4), and a series of through cavities (7) defined between the upper surface (1) and the lower surface (6), intended to house the rhizomes or plants.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the body (10) is symmetrical and its upper (1) and lower (6) surfaces have a quasi-circular geometry, wherein the height of the external side walls (2) is less than the diameter of the upper (1) and lower (6) surfaces. 3.- The structure of claim 2, wherein the cavities (7) are distributed in a first internal circumferential grouping (12) and in a second external circumferential grouping (13) concentric and of larger diameter than the first circumferential grouping (12). 4.- The structure of claim 1, wherein the body (20) is formed by two elongated sections (11) of matching configuration facing each other and joined together, wherein each of the sections (11) is formed by the external side wall (2), of sinuous configuration provided with the indentations (5) and projections (4), wherein the projections (4) of one section (11) are facing each other and in contact with the projections (4) of the other section (11) and wherein the indentations (5) of both sections (11) are facing each other delimiting the cavities (7) between them.

5. The structure of claim 1, comprising more than one body (10,20), wherein said bodies (10,20) are distributed in the same plane in a lateral and enveloping arrangement with each other, so that the projections (4) of the external side walls (2) of one body (10,20) fit into the recesses (5) of the side walls (2) of another body (10,20). 6.- The structure of claim 1, comprising more than one body (10,20), where said bodies (10,20) are distributed in a plane, said bodies (10,20) being arranged in collateral contact by their external side walls (2), so that the projections (4) of one of the external side walls (2) of one body (10,20) are in contact with the projections (4) of one of the external side walls (2) of the other body (10,20), and in which the indentations (5) of one of the external side walls (2) of one body are opposite the indentations (5) of another external side wall (2) of the other body (10,20) delimiting between them some cavities (7) between bodies (10,20).

7. The structure of claim 1, wherein the body material (10, 20) is Portland cement, composite Portland cement, pozzolanic cement, slag cement, aluminous cement or compacted mixed substrates, with disintegrability capability.

8. The structure of claim 1, further comprising anchoring elements (9) intended to link the body (10, 20) to the seabed.

9. The structure of claim 1, further comprising fixing elements (8) intended to link the rhizomes or plants to the body (10, 20).

10. The structure of claim 9, wherein the fixing element (8) is a mesh or fabric intended to link all the rhizomes or plants at once to the body (10,20).

11. The structure of claim 9, because the fastening element (8) is selected from hemp rope, metal wire and biodegradable material ties.

12. The structure of claim 1, wherein the lower surface (6) incorporates grooves (9) from the cavities (7) intended to facilitate the attachment of rhizomes or plants.

13. The structure of claim 1, wherein the cavities (7) have a surface area of ​​between 10 cm 2 and 400 cm 2 and more preferably between 30 cm 2 and 120

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