Récifs Goëlo, a non-profit environmental association based in Côtes-d’Armor, one of Brittany’s coastal cities, has been dedicated to protecting the maritime ecosystem via artificial reefs in the northwest coast area of France since its establishment in 2016. Like French Mediterranean coast cities, Côtes-d’Armor chose to develop artificial reefs with the long-term objective of increasing biological production in impoverished marine areas and promoting the recovery of the natural environment degraded by human activities. “We had to be tenacious, but we are happy to reach the finish line,” said Michel Rickauer and Michel Brulard, respectively, President and Secretary of Récifs Goëlo.

An artificial reef is a human-made and biomimetic submerged structure deliberately placed on the seabed to mimic some functions of a natural reef, such as protecting, regenerating, and concentrating populations of living marine resources. It provides shelter for various species; for instance, it serves as a crucial spawning and foraging habitat for many commercially and recreationally fish species. Furthermore, due to the threat of climate change, both global warming and ocean acidification are affecting marine life, leading to natural coral reefs being bleached and algae being expelled. To avoid the degradation of these marine ecosystems and at the same time encourage their reconstruction, initiatives related to the creation of artificial reefs have emerged globally. Nevertheless, a close and timely monitoring and evaluation of the ecological impacts of artificial reefs are essential to avoid any misplacement or becoming the habitat for invasive species such as the orange-cup coral.

The artificial reefs are locally made and assembled in Caen, a commune in north-western France, by a French engineering college called Ecole Supérieure d’ingénieurs des Travaux de la Construction (ESITC), according to one of MNHN’s scientists. With a diameter of 1.6 meters and height of 1.30m, each artificial reef weighs 3.3 tonnes and has three circular parts, among which two contain shell waste. The artificial habitat will facilitate the proliferation and development of algae, which are key species for the area.

In the meantime, the museum and Récifs Goëlo would cooperate in training twenty divers: ten from Paimpol diving club (ASSSUB) and ten from Saint-quay-Portrieux (Narco Club), with a scientific approach to enable them with the capabilities to monitor the site for the following two years. MNHN is responsible for data collection and analysis as well as study reports. In return, they send their findings to Récifs Goëlo, which will publish the data to the public and media. Récifs Goëlo plans to involve the public with the reef experimentation for more awareness of maritime challenges. “The first thing is to learn about local biodiversity, and then we shall be able to see the evolution across time,” said Michel Rickauer.