Created by ceramist Hugo Osorio and Pedro Fuentes, the 25 sculptures form a sort of artificial reef in the azure waters surrounding the paradise-like Isla Fuerte, off the coast of Colombia.
On the Caribbean seafloor, an unusual sculpture gallery is taking shape with an equally unusual purpose: to provide a home for coral threatened by tourism and climate change.
Created by ceramist Hugo Osorio and Pedro Fuentes, the 25 sculptures form a sort of artificial reef in the azure waters surrounding the paradise-like Isla Fuerte, off the coast of Colombia.
They are 1.5 metres high and are scattered about 6 metres below the seabed, and although they are mainly inhabited by fish, they are also a popular spot for divers.
The statues have been installed since 2018 as part of an initiative called MUSZIF, started by fashion designer and islander Tatiana Olego.
An additional 25 are planned to be added in the future.
“When we noticed that the island's natural reefs were degrading, we saw the potential to protect and enhance coral life,” Orego said.
Orego seeded the clay sculptures with coral larvae and watched them grow.
The founder of Colombia's first underwater art gallery added that the sculptures are an “ideal substrate” for marine invertebrates to grow.
Coral Bleaching
Massive coral bleaching events have occurred around the world in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres this year, marking the fourth time such an event has been recorded globally, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
These events cause coral deaths, affecting not only coral-dependent ecosystems but also tourism and food security.
According to NOAA, the culprit is warming oceans.
Colombia's coral reefs cover an area the size of 100,000 football fields, and the environment ministry says more than two-thirds of it has already been bleached.
Other issues include direct damage to coral reefs caused by divers and tourists.
Tourists sometimes break off pieces of coral and let them float on the surface, and some people walk on structures that damage the coral.
“People don't understand that corals are living things,” Orego says.
The Isla Fuerte Museum receives around 2,000 visitors per year.
Orego added that it provides “an alternative space to accommodate tourists without putting a strain on the natural reefs.”
Sculptures based on the creations of their ancestors
Osorio and Fuentes, who created the coral sculptures for Orrego, based their designs on the creations of their Xénu ancestral people, who inhabited Colombia's Caribbean Sea before the arrival of the Spanish.
“This all comes from our roots,” Fuentes, 48, said.
“We will continue so that the culture is not lost,” added Osorio, 59.
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