DP World and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), one of Ecuador’s leading research and engineering universities, have signed a strategic agreement to scientifically monitor and evaluate marine biodiversity associated with the Living Seawalls structures installed as part of the berth expansion at the Port of Posorja.
The partnership will generate scientific evidence on how nature-based infrastructure can support marine ecosystems while enabling sustainable port growth. Researchers from ESPOL, working alongside the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS), will identify and classify marine species colonizing the eco-engineered structures.
Living Seawalls are designed with textured surfaces that mimic natural habitats, creating opportunities for marine species to attach, grow, and thrive. At Posorja, these structures have been incorporated into the piles supporting the terminal’s expansion, transforming portions of the port infrastructure into active marine habitats.
To date, 21 Living Seawalls piles have been installed along the terminal’s expanded 700-meter berth. Upon completion of the final phase later this year, the berth will reach 800 meters in length and include 33 Living Seawalls piles among a total of 283 structural piles.
Carlos Merino, CEO of DP World in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, said: “Building a sustainable port is not just about reducing emissions or using clean energy; it means understanding the impact of our operations on the marine environment and acting accordingly. This agreement with ESPOL and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science demonstrates that infrastructure expansion and environmental care can go hand in hand.”
To support the initiative, DP World is investing approximately US$30,000 in scientific equipment and research activities. The monitoring program will include field-based ecological surveys, laboratory analysis, and underwater image assessment to better understand how biodiversity develops around the structures over time.
The agreement builds on DP World’s broader Living Seawalls program, which was first piloted at the Port of Callao in Peru. Through a research partnership with Universidad Científica del Sur from Peru, scientists have identified more than 60 marine species associated with the eco-engineered structures. Monitoring conducted in early 2025 further demonstrated their impact, revealing that 10% of all species recorded within the port expansion area were found exclusively on the Living Seawalls modules.
Building on these results, DP World brought the initiative to Ecuador, installing Living Seawalls as part of the Port of Posorja’s berth expansion and making it one of the first ports in Latin America to adopt the innovative habitat-enhancement technology.
The program has since expanded globally, including at Jebel Ali Port in the UAE, where DP World completed the first phase in 2025 of what will become the region’s longest continuous waterfront habitat dedicated to supporting marine biodiversity, with 1,000 eco-engineered panels already installed.
The agreement supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), while advancing DP World’s “Our World, Our Future” sustainability strategy. It reinforces the company’s commitment to demonstrating how trade infrastructure can support both economic growth and environmental stewardship.
Learn more about DP World’s global sustainability work here.