The Costa Rican Electricity Institute is installing artificial reefs in the province of Guanacaste as part of a project that began in 2016 with the purpose of contributing with the protection of marine ecosystems.

With the help of a team of scuba divers, 52 artificial reefs were installed in Hermosa Beach for the benefit of marine life.
During the next six months, the ICE with the assistance of divers will continue with the project, installing the artificial reefs once every month. According to the Electricity Institute if the artificial reef is completed the ocean ecosystem will advance in its evolution cycle in about 100 to 150 years.

The Electricity Institute is working in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and is using the porcelain insulators that are left over from the electric network, the Condo-Fish Foundation supervises that the materials used do no generate contamination.
The installation is done in a depth of 25 to 28 meters (82-92 feet) and with a height of 1.3 meters (4.3 feet).

“So far the results are satisfactory, since we can see there’s stability in the material anchored in the sea floor, and small fish positioned over the reef”, expressed Walter Arias from the ICE’s Socio-environmental Division.

“Seaweed must adhere to the structure in a natural way, so that coral seeds start growing”, explained Arias.