# A new way to grow islands

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2019-05-14

climate-change, environment, growing-islands, invena, islands, maldives, mit, planning, real-estate, sandbars, sea-level-rise, sustainability

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MIT's Self Assembly Lab and Invena (which is an organization based out of the Maldives) are trying to invent [a system of underwater devices](https://selfassemblylab.mit.edu/growingislands/) that naturally harness wave energy to restore and/or create new beaches, sandbars, and islands. The hope is that this line of thinking could be scaled up and eventually used a response to sea level rise, as well as other coastal challenges.

[Here's](https://selfassemblylab.mit.edu/growingislands/) a short video explaining the initiative:

https://vimeo.com/322246170

With over 40% of the world's population supposedly living in a coastal area, this is a problem that will need to be addressed. Already we are seeing these concerns start to rear their head in [the real estate markets of some particularly vulnerable cities](https://www.wsj.com/articles/miami-condo-king-brought-back-to-earth-by-luxury-home-price-correction-11557327614). The team installed their first field experiment in the Maldives this past February and a second one is expected in Q4-2019.

For more information on the "Growing Islands" project, [click here](https://selfassemblylab.mit.edu/growingislands/).

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/a-new-way-to-grow-islands)*