#San Jose #Costa Rica #FIFCO #Back Home

Back Home Project by FIFCO: Utilizing AI in Shell Restoration

In a groundbreaking initiative, Costa Rica's FIFCO has embarked on an extraordinary journey to restore marine ecosystems by utilizing artificial intelligence. The project, aptly named "Back Home," aims to reintegrate over 36,000 confiscated shells back into their natural habitats, a move crucial for preserving biodiversity and maintaining coastal stability.

The Environmental Crisis from Shell Collecting

The seemingly benign practice of collecting shells as souvenirs is unraveling into a considerable environmental crisis. Research from the University of Florida and the University of Barcelona demonstrates that such extraction significantly deteriorates coastal ecosystems. This practice threatens biodiversity, disrupts sediment stability, and compromises the resilience of coastlines against climate change.

Ongoing Efforts in Shell Recovery

In Costa Rica, an estimated six tons of shells are confiscated from tourists at airports annually. Historically, these shells were buried due to the inability to identify their origins (whether from the Pacific or Caribbean). Without proper classification, it was impossible to safely return them to the ocean, and the risk of introducing non-native species and parasites remained high.

To address this pressing issue, the Back Home project has collaborated with various entities, including Imperial, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, AERIS, and the University of Costa Rica, to create an innovative solution with global applicability. The project is twofold: first, establishing an AI tool to determine the origin of the shells, and second, creating protocols for their safe reintegration into the ocean.

The Impact of AI Technology

FIFCO's developed AI tool is capable of identifying shells by ecosystem through a single photograph, boasting up to 90% accuracy in a matter of seconds. Trained on a dataset including over 18,500 images representing 525 different species, this AI effectively distinguishes between Caribbean and Pacific shells, ensuring their correct placement back into their respective environments.

In 2024 alone, the project enabled the successful relocation of over 36,000 shells back into their natural habitats, which not only facilitated the emptying of storage containers at an airport but also represented a significant shift in how Costa Rica approaches environmental conservation efforts.

Additionally, recognizing the importance of public awareness in this initiative, the project has launched a dedicated educational campaign that includes a documentary and various educational resources aimed at reducing the collection of shells by tourists.

Furthermore, FIFCO has made the open-source code for this AI model available to the scientific community, encouraging other nations to develop their classification systems and thus inspiring a global movement toward ecosystem restoration.

The Back Home project symbolizes a progressive step in conservation technology—a model showing how innovative approaches can effectively mitigate the environmental impacts of human activities.

Conclusion

As countries worldwide grapple with the adverse effects of climate change and biodiversity loss, initiatives like Costa Rica's Back Home project exemplify how technology can be harnessed to foster environmental sustainability. By addressing the issue of shell collection and employing AI for effective restoration, Costa Rica is setting an important precedent for ecological restoration efforts around the globe.