Artificial Reef Gibraltar
Coordinates: 36 ° 7 ′ 16.2 ″ N , 5 ° 21 ′ 20 ″ W.
The Artificial Reef Gibraltar is the largest man-made reef in European waters. It was set up on the initiative of the British Helping Hand Trust around the biologist Eric Shaw in 1978 and has been continuously expanded since then. The aim of the marine protection project in the Bay of Gibraltar is to create habitats for a large marine biodiversity in the region. Scientific studies have shown an increase and the colonization of the reef by invertebrates and fish.
By 2013, more than 30 ships were sunk around the reef. The ships with steel and wooden hulls are between six and 30 meters long. Over 200 active people, mainly seafarers and divers , support the project. In the meantime, the reef has become a pilot project for other artificial reefs and enables long-term studies on the development and settlement of artificially created marine habitats.
Political dimension
The reef has always been the trigger for the existing territorial dispute between Spain and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar . While Gibraltar registered the area as a European Marine Protected Area, Spanish fishermen are hindered in their work. This culminated in the Gibraltar fisheries dispute .
Web links
- Helping Hand Trust (English)