Project by Carolena Bastiaan Beatley
This project, inspired by rock pools in Australia, aims to combat collective disconnect with the surrounding environment through creating an enjoyable and frequently used space, such as a swimming pool, and incorporating native plants and wildlife. Rock pools are natural pools made with a perimeter of rocks and filled with ocean water. These pools create a sheltered swimming space for humans but also provide a habitat for sea creatures to live in the crevices of the rock walls and on the floors of the pool. In this project the perimeter of the pools are made with a square mesh that is filled with pieces of concrete taken from the pier that serve as the rocks in the rock pools. The plant life incorporated in these pools are six native plants: Water Marigold, Coontail, Eelgrass, Water Celery, Northern Water Milfoil, and Water Nymph. These plants were chosen because of their ability to naturally filter pollutants in the water and because they meet the needs of five fish: Cunner, Atlantic Tomcod, Black Sea Bass, Oyster Toadfish, and Tautog. People who swim at these pools will be able to interact with these native plants and fish just as one might when walking around a rock pool in Australia and feeling algae at their feet.
