As climate change takes its toll and the effects get worse, many countries developed their own various strategies to adapt or at least lower consequences. In this case United States Virgin Islands. That Caribbean state is planning to build its own artificial coral reef as possible protection for severe storms.
A 5-meter-high and 4-meter-wide reef should be set up near the coast around St. Thomas and is expected to be finished by July. After Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the US Virgin Islands in 2017. the federal government of America approved funds for that project worth of at least 760 000 dollars. Department of Planning and Natural Resources’s commissioner said university experts are choosing the strongest coral specimens from more than a dozen types of coral to attach to the artificial reef.
Coral reefs are an important part of marine ecosystems and help protect coastlines from erosion and damage from hurricanes. Here are some of the benefits that an artificial coral reef could provide to the US Virgin Islands: Coastal protection against erosion and hurricane damage; improvement of water quality; increasing biodiversity; encouraging tourism…
The artificial reef project has the potential to have a significant impact on the US Virgin Islands. If the project is successful, it could be repeated on other islands that are threatened by climate change.
