Martin Ecosystems

Baton Rouge, LA

225.292.6750

floating islands

Our Floating Islands are Featured at the NEW Louisiana Children’s Museum

This year the Louisiana Children’s Museum is making a move to City Park from the Warehouse District, where it has spent the last 30 years. This move has been in the works for a long time and you can see rendered drawings here in an article published last year that describes the new museum in detail.

The new location will overlook a lagoon in City Park where you will be able to see three of Martin Ecosystems’ BioHaven® Floating Islands that were recently installed with help from the staff of the Children’s Museum, Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) and volunteers! We’re honored and excited to be a part of this project to bring learning to life for children.

Taylor Beery, the museum board’s president said,

The ability to take the children outside and to let them see through the windows the nature we’re teaching them is an extraordinary opportunity for the museum.

Our BioHaven® Floating Islands were installed for this project to provide a habitat for wildlife and water fowl living in and around the waterbody. Floating Islands are floating platforms constructed from recycled PET plastic matrix. Vegetation is grown hydroponically to create a picturesque waterscape for lakes and ponds above the water, while the roots are working hard below to remove unwanted pollutants below the water.Thanks to the work these islands are doing, soon you and your children will be able to enjoy the beautiful waterscape and admire the turtles, fish and birds that make their home near the museum.

RES is the largest and most experienced ecological offset provider in the United States. They’re committed to being stewards for sustainable development and bettering the places we live and work. They created a video that provides more insight into this project at the Louisiana Children’s Museum. It features our Floating Islands and a few words from our own Jason Martin! You can find the video here.

To learn more about the applications of BioHaven® Floating Islands, click here or give us a call at 225.292.6750.

The Double Impact Floating Islands Are Making Along the Chicago River Waterfront

This month we’re sharing a beautification case study of our floating islands at work in Chicago, IL. Once considered a grungy area of town, the Chicago Riverwalk is now an attraction that has added value to the windy city. Five areas were constructed, including the Marina, The Cove, Water Plaza, the Jetty and the Boardwalk through an initiative to improve the environment for the enjoyment of not only Chicagoans, but also for the inhabitants beneath the surface of the water. Along the Riverwalk you will find fountains, mists and sprays for children to play in along with seating and staircases, but the Jetty has an educational focus.

The Work of Floating Islands in The Jetty

This section of the Riverwalk includes floating wetlands and water gardens along the piers, providing an opportunity for people to learn about the river’s ecology and search for fish. Because of The Jetty the aquatic species beneath the surface now have better living conditions as floating islands work diligently to remove contaminants in the water. Sasaki Associates, one of the architect organizations that led this beautification project, says that floating Islands “provide a healthy habitat for the Chicago River’s diverse native fish population, as well as educational and recreational opportunities for visitors to observe and interact with the aquatic ecosystem.” We’re connecting people with the wonder of nature by bringing nature to them through floating islands.

Beyond Beautification

Sasaki Principal and landscape architect Gina Ford of ASLA started off with the thought of creating an experimental “fish hotel”. A critical element of the aquatic ecosystem are the plants in the floating islands whose roots enable biofilm to grow and filter river water. The Chicago Riverwalk’s “unique plant palette” was designed by Terry Ryan, ASLA, of Jacobs/Ryan Associates. What is so fascinating about this case study is that floating islands are a part of an elaborate design that provides aesthetic beauty to the Chicago River but also makes a huge impact on the environment. Sasaki says, “The Jetty falls in line with understanding that truly sustainable design accounts for the whole environment—not only for humans, but also for all species of wildlife and plants potentially impacted by a design.”

The Chicago River was once polluted and uninviting but it has come quite a long way. With the construction improvements, the mindset of the riverfront of Chicago has changed and it has become yet another place for Chicagoans to gather. We’re thrilled to play a role in this project by helping educate the public, improving water quality for aquatic life, and providing beauty that invites people to the waterfront. Click here to learn more about our floating islands and how they work both below and above the surface of the water.

Here’s a behind the scenes look at the installation process of our floating islands:

Our Love for Water Inspires Us to Protect It

Martin Ecosystems began in 2008, and has been family-owned and operated ever since.

Our owner, Ted Martin, grew up in a small fishing village and his love for water began at a young age. Ted and his four children keep the Martin Ecosystems wheels spinning, and they love what they do.

Martin Ecosystems Leadership Team
Martin Ecosystems Leadership Team

The Louisiana coast has been the backdrop for countless Martin family celebrations. It is where we work; it is where we play; it is our home.

The environmental challenges Louisiana faces are worldwide (i.e. marsh erosion, impaired waterbodies, threatened habitats). We are fully dedicated to finding a common link between industry and nature, while solving the most complex environmental challenges with matchless natural solutions.

Our Environmental Commitment Involves Environmental Technology

We are an environmental technology company that manufactures and supplies Floating Treatment Wetlands, Floating Breakwaters, and a bank stabilization solution-EcoShield™.

Our products provide cost-effective solutions for a variety of environmental challenges our world faces today including storm water and wastewater treatment, shoreline protection, and habitat restoration.

Based out of Louisiana, we first developed solutions for the coastal restoration and protection challenges affecting our home state, but today we serve customers in 15 states and several foreign markets.

Our innovative combination of engineering and ecology improves water quality, establishes sustainable habitats and creates resilient shorelines.

We use recycled products with minimal footprints to improve a variety of water environments. We believe it is our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth’s resources.

  • We are RECYCLING by using a matrix material made of 100% recycled Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic soda and water bottles to manufacture all our products.
  • We are REDUCING the amount of plastic from entering the environment and going into landfills.
  • We are REUSING post-consumer waste.

At Martin Ecosystems, our commitment to improving and protecting the environment is strong.

Interested in learning more about our company, product lines and services? Give us a call at (225) 292-6750!