Erosion control and sand retention systems
Scouring at the base of seawalls, sediment loss and structural undermining threaten coastal infrastructure across Mauritius. There's no single fix — OceanVolts deploys a family of engineered and nature-based responses, matched to each site's wave energy, sediment conditions and what's already been built.
What we deliver
Depending on what the site survey shows, our erosion control solutions draw from geotextile sand bag and geotube systems, berm creation and reconstruction at scouring seawalls, engineered breakwater and sand retention systems, and artificial reef structures — matched to the site's wave climate and sediment behaviour rather than applied as a default.
Geotextile sand bags & berm reconstruction
Sediment-filled geotextile units rebuild berms and stabilise scoured ground at existing seawalls — a lower-disturbance intervention where the seawall itself is sound but the ground in front of it has washed away.
Breakwaters & sand retention systems
Engineered breakwater and sand retention structures reduce incoming wave energy and hold sediment in place at sites where softer measures alone aren't sufficient. The specific system and configuration are selected per site, based on the wave and sediment modelling completed during the design phase.
Artificial reef structures
3D-printed artificial reef units — including the HVE, HexaDome and Yfalos reef-unit lines — are one deployable option within this service, dissipating wave energy offshore while providing substrate for coral and marine life to colonise, combining coastal protection with habitat value. See also our Coral Reef Restoration service, and read more inArtificial reefs for wave energy dissipation.
Our methodology
Investigate
Site survey and sediment/scour assessment at the affected seawall or shoreline.
Model
Wave and current modelling to size the erosion control response to the site's actual energy regime.
Design
Selection and design of the matched solution — geotextile systems, berm reconstruction, breakwater/sand retention structures or artificial reef units.
Permit
EIA/PER permitting support for the proposed installation.
Build
On-site installation of the engineered or nature-based erosion control system.
Monitor
Post-deployment monitoring to verify performance and inform any follow-up works.
Delivered work
Trou aux Biches Coastal Erosion Defense Engineering
Monitored beach profiles along a rock-revetment coastal erosion defense structure and assessed upstream/downstream sediment-transport impacts. Modelled sediment-budget evolution and hard-structure wave reflection and refraction along the affected coastline.
Led by OceanVolts' Managing Director, Nissar Sumodhee, prior to founding the firm.
Marine Memorial Project, Île aux Bénitiers Lagoon
Designed a Marine Memorial Ground using engineered artificial reef systems, authoring the project proposal and satisfying all applicable regulatory conditions. Included a biological survey of benthic and fisheries life and a preliminary backscatter survey for bottom-hardness mapping.
Beach Frontage Cleaning & Hazard Removal, Les Salines
Mechanically sieved the top 20 cm sediment layer across the frontage to clear health-and-safety hazards, then planted coastal vegetation to reinforce beach stability. Vegetation species with a negative impact on stability were removed as part of the works.
See how this service was applied in a live project:Marine Memorial Project, Île aux Bénitiers Lagoon.
Outcomes
Erosion control is only as good as its match to the site — every intervention is sized using data from the survey and from our Numerical Wave Modellingservice, and we provide monitoring data to verify performance and support permit conditions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between geotextile sand bags and a berm?
Geotextile sand bags are sediment-filled units used as the building block; a berm is the reconstructed landform they help create — the raised bank of sediment that protects a scoured seawall base or shoreline. Sand bags are the material and method; the berm is the resulting structure.
How do breakwaters and sand retention systems reduce erosion?
They reduce the wave energy that reaches the shoreline and hold sediment in place that would otherwise be carried away, giving a beach or seawall base a better chance of remaining stable rather than continuously scouring.
How do artificial reefs reduce wave energy?
Artificial reef structures sit offshore and break up incoming wave energy before it reaches the shoreline, reducing the erosive force that reaches the beach or seawall — the same function a healthy natural reef performs, while also providing substrate for coral and marine life to colonise.
Do erosion control installations need EIA approval in Mauritius?
Most works that modify the shoreline or foreshore require either an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or a Preliminary Environmental Report (PER), depending on scale and location. Our EIA & PER Permitting service scopes which applies to your site.
Dealing with erosion at your site?
Start with a survey — we'll match the right response to your site's conditions.
Request a Coastal Survey →