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Hybrid living shorelines use a combination of engineered structures with natural ecosystems to achieve coastal protection and habitat restoration outcomes, with added co-benefits such as carbon sequestration. Rock fillets constructed along eroding estuarine banks are designed to accumulate sediment, establish mangroves, and stabilise the shoreline. There is, however, a lack of data to support whether rock fillets are achieving these goals. We used a chronosequence of rock fillets to determine their effect on mangrove development, bank stabilisation and carbon sequestration in four estuaries in New South Wales, Australia. Aboveground biomass and adult density increased with age of rock fillets, and mangrove structure was similar to a natural fringing mangrove after 15 years. The rock fillets accumulated sediment, which reduced the eroded estuary bank height, however, little effect of the fillets on bank slope was observed. Sediment carbon stocks were not different between rock fillets, eroding estuary banks and natural fringing mangroves. Rock fillet design had a significant effect on mangrove structure and coastal protection function, with greater wave transmission through lower rock fillets, suggesting design optimisation is needed. As the construction cost of the rock fillets was equal or less than traditional rock revetments, where suitable they present a more economic and environmentally sustainable solution to estuarine erosion management. • Hybrid living shorelines can provide coastal protection and habitat restoration outcomes. • Rock fillets were successful at accumulating sediment and establishing mangroves. • Mangrove structure within rock fillets was similar to natural mangroves after 15 years. • There was no effect of the rock fillets on blue carbon accumulation. • Technical guidance can inform large-scale application of rock fillets for nature-based coastal defence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern day seascape is a mix of natural habitats (saltmarsh, mangroves, seagrass, unvegetated beaches), but increasingly is being replaced with hard engineering structures (e.g. floating pontoons) that have resulted in novel habitats available for flora and fauna. While these engineered structures provide new marine habitat resources, from the viewpoint of biodiversity, they effectively support a sub-set of species found in natural habitats. Unlike previous studies that have used divers for fish visual census, we used a remotely operated vessel with an underwater camera to examine the fish community using floating pontoons in a marina facility in tropical central Queensland, Australia. The camera filmed continuously the edge and underside of pontoons (both surveys covered similar pontoon linear distances – July (winter) 430m; November (summer) 485m; 2021). Fifteen fish species representing 14 families were recorded, with more species observed during summer compared to the winter survey. Remarkably, across both surveys of the 243 fishes individuals that were recorded, 166 (68%) appeared upside-down in videos (i.e., oriented to the underside of the pontoon). Engaging a behaviour of swimming upside-down has been acknowledged in natural habitats elsewhere; some coral reef species living in caves or reef ledges orientate themselves to the cave ceiling or overhanging ledge to increase prey capture rate. However, this is the first study to record fishes exhibiting the same behaviour. We conclude that our less invasive video survey approach provided the opportunity to observe fishes in a state of natural behaviour, orientating themselves towards the pontoon substrate, which is probably simply a response of adhering to basic characteristic modes, i.e., it is the orientation relative to the substrate that is important, rather than their orientation in space per se. Indeed marina pontoons provide an additional feature in already habitat complex estuaries; these data add to why we need to consider the ecosystem services offered by marine infrastructure, and the plasticity of fish to adapt to new environments in an expanding blue economy. [Display omitted] • Pontoons in marinas are an obvious marine habitat in modern day seascape. • ROV revealed nearly all fish were upside-down, orientated to the pontoon substrate. • This behavior could be a response of adhering to basic characteristic modes, such as accessing food and shelter. • The placidity of fish to adopt to new marine environments is demonstrated here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]