This bold idea was brought to life by two talented ceramic artists, Hugo Osorio and Pedro Fuentes. The 25 clay sculptures they created became a colorful artificial coral reef in the deep blue waters surrounding the island of Isla Fuerte, off the coast of Colombia. Each "work" is about 1.5m high, scattered about 6m deep under the sea. They quickly attracted the attention of many marine creatures, including fish and divers.
Called MUSZIF, the project was initiated in 2018 by fashion designer Tatiana Orrego, also a resident of Isla Fuerte. The goal of the project is to create 25 more pieces in the future.
Mr. Orrego shared that when witnessing the degradation of natural coral reefs on the island, he realized that this art project could play an important role in protecting and promoting the life cycle of coral.
Orrego planted baby corals on clay sculptures and watched them grow. These sculptures were the “ideal substrate” for the growth of these marine invertebrates.
Since the beginning of this year, the world has witnessed a large-scale coral bleaching event, the fourth global bleaching event on record and the second in the past 10 years, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Coral bleaching causes mass coral deaths, negatively impacting marine ecosystems, tourism , and food security. According to NOAA, ocean warming is the primary cause of this phenomenon.
In Colombia, coral reefs cover an area the size of 100,000 football fields, but more than two-thirds of them have been bleached. In addition, corals face other threats from tourism, such as tourists breaking off pieces of coral to bring ashore or trampling on coral structures.
The Isla Fuerte coral “gallery” welcomes about 2,000 visitors a year. It provides an ideal space for tourists to admire the coral without overloading the natural coral reefs.
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