Artificial shorelines lack natural structural complexity across scales

From microbes to humans, habitat structural complexity plays a direct role in the provision of physical living space, and increased supports higher biodiversity ecosystem functioning across biomes. Coastal development construction artificial shorelines are altering natural landscapes as humans seek socio-economic benefits protection from coastal storms, flooding erosion. In this study, we evaluate how much is missing on structures compared rocky shorelines, range spatial scales 1 mm 10 s m, using three remote sensing platforms (handheld camera, terrestrial laser scanner uncrewed aerial vehicles). Natural were typically more structurally complex than ones offered greater variation between locations. However, our results varied depending type structure scale at which was measured. Seawalls deficient all (approx. 20–40% less shores), whereas rock armour smallest largest 20–50%). Our findings reinforce concerns that hardening with simplifies coastlines organism-relevant scales. Furthermore, offer much-needed insight into might be modified closely capture shores support biodiversity.