Artificial islands in modern development: Construction, applications, and environmental challenges

Artificial islands are extensively utilized in urban development, ports, and tourism projects worldwide, but they also present numerous ecological and environmental challenges. This study provides a comprehensive review of the principal applications of modern artificial islands as well as their development trends. All artificial islands dating back to the eighteenth century have been compiled, encompassing their locations, construction, and purposes. The main content of this review is in three different directions: (1) artificial islands are categorized into six groups: application-based groups and arranged chronologically, providing insights into the growth patterns of each category; (2) three common island-building types: cofferdam island, reef island and floating island, and the related techniques are summarized and (3) the challenges faced by the construction of artificial islands are presented along with the suggestions and expectations. This review is intended to provide some inspiration for future research on artificial islands.