Three mini-island ecosystems have been set afloat at the Science Centre in Glasgow, Scotland.

Glasgow Science Centre is a cutting-edge visitor attraction situated on the south bank of the River Clyde in the historic Prince's Dock. Once bustling with shipping and commerce, the site now brings the wonder of science to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is also home to a new media quarter for the city.

The leadership team at the Science Centre recognises the importance of increasing biodiversity in their surroundings and helping to educate visitors about the technologies that help bring water to life, but the hard-edged riverbank of the Canting Basin is a challenging environment with limited habitat for wildlife.

The Floating Ecosystems were created by ecological technology company Biomatrix, which is based in the north of Scotland. Each is comprised of a versatile interlocking system that has been planted with over 2,000 native estuarine plants.

This estuary environment has a tidal range of over 4m and the Floating Ecosystems can accommodate changing water levels as they rise and fall with the tide. The islands will provide habitat for birds such as moorhens, ducks and cormorants to nest, for fish to gain shelter and find food, and may even attract visitors such as the seals, otters and porpoises which can be found in the Clyde.

Public engagement is fundamental to the mission of Glasgow Science Centre and throughout the project over 140 community group members participated in workshops to learn about the importance of biodiversity and greening of urban environments. There is an observation area with free-to-use binoculars and interpretation boards about the Floating Ecosystem just outside the science centre.

In 1900 the Prince’s Dock was the country’s deepest graving dock, which means it was an enclosed basin used for cleaning, painting and tarring ships, and could hold the largest ships afloat. The Floating Ecosystems will bring new life to this historic location.

Another exciting aspect of this project is that scientists and students from the University of Glasgow will study the Floating Ecosystems and use them as a living laboratory. They will examine the impact that the plants have on local animal populations and monitor any changes in the water conditions.

The project is supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, which is facilitated by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) and managed by NatureScotland.