Sediment Lab

A key component of the project was an investigation of local benthic ecosystems—complex communities of organisms living within the sediment. The biogenic structures and marine "homes"  that these organisms create with the sediment inspired the focus on using the sediment for applications within our terrestrial homes .These sediment ecosystems also informed the design of the projects elements and were a special focus of the workshop activities, serving as a powerful educational and conceptual tool.

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 The port of Koper is part of the northern Adriatic Sea, an environment of shallow waters, soft-bottom habitats, and complex ecological interactions. The seafloor sediment hosts entire communities of organisms including polychaete worms, burrowing shrimp, and other invertebrates.

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One of the most crucial ecological functions in benthic sediment ecosystems is bioturbation: the physical reworking of sediment by organisms. Polychaete worms, for example, burrow, feed, and move vertically and horizontally, shifting sediments, creating burrows and tunnels transporting oxygen and  deeper into layers otherwise depleted and processing detritus and organic matter.

These processes are not just internal—through benthic–pelagic coupling, the sediment ecosystem influences the overlying water column. Recycled nutrients and dissolved compounds support primary production and feed upward in the food web.