Infrastructure development and biodiversity promotion make it possible to restore nature and, therefore, protect coasts from waves and erosion, exactly what the Mexican Caribbean needs.
Beach loss in the Mexican Caribbean, especially in Quintana Roo, is a significant problem due to coastal erosion, rising sea levels, and human activity, which threatens to cause some beaches to disappear completely.
The Mexican-Dutch startup Reefy, creator of reef blocks—prefabricated concrete or cement pieces used to build walls—built the Rotterdam Reef and, two years later, has announced its scope in a press release.
In 2023, 17 reef blocks were installed in Europe’s busiest shipping channel, the Port of Rotterdam, creating a reef breakwater with concrete blocks, each three meters long and weighing six tons, which today form a living reef.
The reef blocks are designed to withstand strong wave impacts and feature different surfaces that create dynamic ecosystems where species such as mollusks, fish, crabs, and shrimp can thrive, protecting both the coast and marine life.
Reefy created the modular technology and project that innovatively unites coastal protection and ecosystem restoration, providing refuge for marine life; increasing biodiversity, and improving water quality and ecosystem health.
Reef blocks are resilient to storms and flooding and are ready for global implementation because they “contribute to the objectives and seek to improve flora and fauna habitats,” according to the Mexican-Dutch company Reefy.
TYT Newsroom
The post It is possible to rescue coasts with nature against waves and erosion first appeared on The Yucatan Times.