The artificial reefs, with each block weighing 25 tonnes, have rugged surfaces which emulate natural rock beds. This will enable various marine and plankton organisms to colonise them. In addition, their positioning at the sea wall at the port will reinforce the existing underwater blocks, guaranteeing the correct function of the port and its safety. The structures resolve the issues with water breaching the infrastructure during storms in recent years.

These and other actions will also generate more biomass, improving the quality of water and helping in the fight against climate change.

A port linked to people and sustainability

The installation of the concrete blocks is the first step of the project by the Port Olímpic and Barcelona Zoo to make the city coastline more natural again. The initiative mirrors the Parc dels Esculls, a reef created in 2003 in the eastern section of the city’s coast. Over time, this space has taken on characteristics similar to those of a natural underwater rock environment, improving the seabed along the city coast.

The initiative will also have an educational side to it, explaining and raising public awareness about sea conservation with a space for recreational activities such as diving. The installation of the artificial reef helps towards the transformation of the Port Olímpic, which is to become a social and family space linked to the sea, a place for people to enjoy, work in and pursue nautical sports.

The cost of the underwater infrastructures is 10.6 million euros.