Coastal habitats around the world are being increasingly developed.

Urbanization is resulting in loss of

habitats such as coral reefs (Burt 2014). New eco-engineering approaches may offer an opportunity to
improve the ecological integrity of built coastlines (e.g. see Feary et al. 2013, Bauman et al. 2014for
review, Grizzle et al. 2016). Burt (2014) suggests that concrete, despite being the most common
material, is actually a poor substrate for coral development.

Bauman, A. G., A. H. Baird, J. A. Burt, M. S. Pratchett, and D. A. Feary. 2014. Patterns of coral settlement
in an extreme environment: the southern Persian Gulf (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). Marine
Ecology Progress Series 499:115-126.
Burt, J. A. 2014. The environmental costs of coastal urbanization in the Arabian Gulf. City 18:760-770.
Feary, D. A., J. A. Burt, A. G. Bauman, S. Al Hazeem, M. A. Abdel-Moati, K. A. Al-Khalifa, D. M. Anderson,
C. Amos, A. Baker, and A. Bartholomew. 2013. Critical research needs for identifying future
changes in Gulf coral reef ecosystems. Marine pollution bulletin 72:406-416.
Grizzle, R. E., K. M. Ward, R. M. AlShihi, and J. A. Burt. 2016. Current status of coral reefs in the United
Arab Emirates: Distribution, extent, and community structure with implications for management.
Marine pollution bulletin 105:515-523.