Fighting the tide

SCIENTISTS in Germany have developed a floating breakwater they say is 60 to 70 per cent cheaper than conventional designs. Made of narrow sections arranged at right angles to each other, it forms a zigzag structure. As waves approach one section, they are deflected 90 degrees into the neighbouring section, which does the same again, so reversing their original direction of travel. This creates choppy conditions in front of the breakwater and helps to dissipate the energy of following waves.