#Bogota #Costa Rica #FIFCO #Seashells

A Vital Move for Costa Rica's Coastal Ecosystem

In a groundbreaking effort to restore the coastal ecosystem, Costa Rica has utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to return over 36,000 seashells to their natural habitats. This initiative comes as a response to the alarming ecological crisis caused by the collection of seashells as souvenirs, a practice that has detrimental impacts on local biodiversity.

The Ecological Crisis

Research conducted by the University of Florida and the University of Barcelona revealed that the collection of seashells not only degrades coastal ecosystems but also threatens biodiversity, alters sediment stability, and weakens coastlines' ability to withstand the effects of climate change. It's reported that an average of six tons of shells are confiscated annually at Costa Rican airports, illustrating the magnitude of the problem.

For decades, these confiscated shells were buried without proper identification, rendering it impossible to safely return them to the oceans. This lack of classification posed risks, such as the introduction of non-native organisms, parasites, or microbes that could disrupt local biodiversity.

The 'Back Home' Project

The 'Back Home' project, spearheaded by FIFCO, in collaboration with environmental ministries and local universities, has developed a scalable solution. The aim is to reintegrate these seashells into suitable marine habitats by creating a tool to identify their origin and developing protocols for their safe return. Additionally, to combat the collection of shells, a public awareness platform has been launched, featuring documentaries and educational content to inform the public about the ecological importance of seashells.

The AI tool crafted by FIFCO can classify shells based on photographs with up to 90% accuracy in just seconds. Trained on over 18,500 images of 525 different species, this model effectively distinguishes between shells from the Caribbean and the Pacific, ensuring their correct placement back into the appropriate environments.

In 2024, more than 36,000 seashells were successfully returned to their natural habitats, highlighting a significant achievement for Costa Rica in addressing this issue. The storage containers at one airport were emptied, marking a turning point in the battle against the illegal collection of seashells in the country.

A Global Solution

FIFCO has made the source code of the AI model openly available to the scientific community, enabling other countries to enhance their classification systems. This effort does not only promote environmental restoration within Costa Rica but also serves as a template for global initiatives aimed at protecting marine ecosystems.

As Costa Rica takes these critical steps towards environmental restoration and education, it sets a powerful example for sustainable practices in conservation efforts worldwide.