National Aquarium Floating Harbor Wetlands

Part of the National Aquarium in Baltimore’s Master Plan is to transform the canal between Piers 3 and 4, in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, into a 10,500 square foot floating wetland habitat. McLaren Engineering Group worked to transform their vision into a reality by engineering a floating shoreline ecosystem that attracts native species while improving water quality, and providing visitors a unique perspective of the salt marsh habitat and the critical role it plays in the health of the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem.

To test the stability and resiliency of a large-scale project, McLaren’s Marine-Structures team engineered a 15-foot by 20-foot award-winning small-scale prototype that is currently exceeding expectations in the Aquarium’s waterfront campus in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.