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Who we help  /  Coastal authorities and government
For councils, agencies and national coastal teams

Protect communities without more concrete

A nature-based option for your shoreline plan. CCell reefs calm waves offshore so beaches can hold and rebuild, and every design is backed by detailed modelling you can put in front of a committee.

Book an options briefing Compare the options
Fixed-price first stepEvidence you can take to committeeDelivered with local contractors
The 2024 CCell reef off Telchac Puerto, Yucatan, Mexico (CCell photo)
The pressure you are under

More storms, the same budget

Erosion puts homes, roads and public spaces at risk. Repairs come round again and again, hard defences are expensive and often unpopular, and every option has to stand up to scrutiny.

1

Repairs that keep coming back

Each storm season brings another round of emergency works and sand replacement.

2

Public money needs proof

Before a budget is committed, you need evidence a solution will work on your coast, and the paperwork to get it permitted.

3

Public objection

Residents, tourism businesses and fishers often oppose walls and rock that change how the coast looks and works.

4

Duties to nature

Schemes increasingly have to show they protect habitats, not just property.

What a reef changes

Protection that works with the coast

Natural reefs are one of the coast's best defences. A global study found coral reefs reduce wave energy by an average of 97% before it reaches the shore. CCell designs reefs that do the same job, placed and sized for your coastline.

  • Waves broken offshoreEnergy is taken out of the waves before they reach the beach, so sand can settle rather than wash away.
  • Out of sightThe reef sits underwater. The coast keeps its look, its access and its beach.
  • Lower whole-life costAn upfront build followed by monitoring, rather than repeated repair and replenishment.
  • Quick to installOur Telchac reef went in over three days, using local workers, volunteers and a dive team.

Source: Ferrario et al., Nature Communications (2014)

Beach at Telchac Puerto with the area of sand that has built up behind the CCell reef shaded red
The red shading marks sand building up behind the CCell reef at Telchac Puerto (CCell)
Reef units on the beach at Telchac, ready to be rolled into the sea
Reef units ready to be rolled into the sea, Telchac (CCell)
Your options

How a reef compares

Sometimes a hard defence is the right answer. This is how the main options usually compare, and the options briefing tests them on your site.

Designed reefSea wallRock armourBeach nourishment
Keeps the beachYes - helps sand settleOften lost in front of the wallPartlyYes, until the next storm
Visual impactUnderwater, out of sightHighHighLow
HabitatCreates new reef habitatLittle or noneSomeDisturbs the seabed
Cost patternBuild, then monitoringHigh build, repairsHigh build, repairsRepeated every few years
Evidence for decisionsSite model and monitoring dataDesign standardsDesign standardsSurvey after each top-up
How it fits your process

From options appraisal to a working reef

We fit into the way public schemes are appraised and approved. You only move on when the evidence supports it.

Step 1
Fixed price

Options briefing

A short review of your frontage, wave exposure and shoreline change. Is a reef worth including in your appraisal?

Book a briefing
Step 2
Quoted

Feasibility and modelling

Site modelling of waves, currents and sediment with our own models, with reef and conventional options compared on the same basis. We check the model against how your coast actually changed in past storms, then project it forward under climate change.

About our modelling
Step 3
Quoted

Design and consents

Detailed design, environmental surveys and support with licences and permits.

Step 4
Quoted

Install and monitor

Built with local contractors, then monitored with our own sensors and underwater surveys, with regular reports.

About monitoring
Evidence

Working with municipalities and governments

Telchac Puerto, Yucatan, Mexico

A decade of sand loss, turned round in weeks

In 2021 we installed more than 50 reef units in front of nine properties, working with owners, fishers and the mayor. In 2024 we returned with the municipality and the Yucatan state government to build a 50 m reef 80 m offshore. Sand began to build up behind it within three weeks.

250 mof coastline protected
3 daysto install
3 weeksto first recovery
Read the Telchac story
Grand Bahama - Hurricane Matthew, 2016

What a hurricane showed about reefs

Hurricane Matthew damaged around 95 percent of homes in Eight Mile Rock. When we surveyed the coast the year after, the damage was concentrated where there was no offshore reef.

2017post-storm survey
Reef vs no reefdamage compared
More on our modelling
What else the reef brings

A coast that gives more back

Because we protect coasts with reefs rather than walls, every scheme adds something to the place it protects.

New marine habitatFish, shellfish and corals settle on the reef, supporting local biodiversity goals.
Community involvementAt Telchac, residents, students and visitors helped build and install the reef.
Data for reportingMonitoring results you can use in biodiversity, climate adaptation and SDG reporting.
Visitors and local businessTelchac's reef is part of a new marine park for snorkelling and diving.

Residents and visitors helping install the Telchac reef. Why we build reefs

For procurement and committees

Documents to help you make the case

Capability statementWho we are, what we deliver, insurances and accreditationsPDF - TO BE CREATED Reefs vs sea wallsA plain-English options comparison for members and residentsPDF - TO BE CREATED Sample monitoring reportWhat you receive after installationPDF - TO BE CREATED Telchac case studyThe full project story with before and after imageryPDF - EXISTS AS PRODUCT SHEET
Questions officers ask

Before you take it to committee

Can a reef sit alongside existing defences?

Yes. A reef can reduce the wave load on existing walls or groynes and help the beach in front of them recover.

How do consents work?

We carry out the modelling and environmental surveys needed for applications, and support you through licensing.

What happens in a major storm?

Each design is tested against extreme events, including hurricane tracks and storm surge, before it is built.

Who maintains it, and for how long?

The structures are designed to be permanent. We monitor the reef and shoreline and look after inspections and repairs under a service contract. If a reef ever has to come out, it is far quicker than removing a concrete breakwater.

How are projects paid for?

In stages: a small commitment for survey and design, the main payment once permits are approved, and the balance on installation, then an annual service contract.

Does it work in cold water?

Our longest-running reefs are in warm water in Mexico. We have run cold-water trials in the UK and the Isle of Man. Rock grows more slowly in colder water, but the reef still reduces wave energy.

Can local firms be involved?

Yes. We supply the design, electronics and project management, and work with local fabricators, contractors and dive teams.

Does it help with funding bids?

The modelling, habitat gain and monitoring data give you evidence for climate adaptation and nature funding applications.

From the blog

Reefs protecting communities

More from the blog

Options briefing

Is a reef worth including in your plan?

Tell us about the frontage. We will review shoreline change and wave exposure, and give you a clear view on whether a reef belongs in your appraisal.

Paul Savill, Head of Client Services
paul@ccell.eco  |  +44 (0)207 690 0485

Request an options briefing

Where are you in the process?

We reply within two working days.