#Sustainability #San Jose #Costa Rica #FIFCO #Ecosystem Restoration

FIFCO's "Back Home" Project: Restoring Ecosystems with AI in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has taken a significant step in addressing an environmental crisis caused by the seemingly harmless practice of collecting seashells as souvenirs. With an annual average of six tons of shells confiscated at its airports, the country faces considerable ecological damage. The practice threatens coastal ecosystems, endangers biodiversity, and compromises the resilience of shorelines against climate change effects, as highlighted by studies conducted by the University of Florida and the University of Barcelona.

To counteract these challenges, FIFCO, along with partners such as Imperial, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, AERIS, and the University of Costa Rica, launched a groundbreaking initiative known as the "Back Home" project. This project aims to reintegrate the collected shells back into their appropriate oceanic habitats through an innovative classification tool powered by artificial intelligence.

For decades, many shells remained stored in airports due to uncertainty about their origins, with many sourced from either the Pacific or Caribbean coasts. Without accurate classification, returning these shells could pose risks of introducing invasive species or other harmful organisms that could disrupt local ecosystems. The project addresses this issue by developing a system for identifying the origin of these shells and establishing protocols for their safe return.

The AI tool developed by FIFCO can accurately classify shells based on ecosystem through photographs, achieving up to 90% accuracy within seconds. It has been trained on over 18,500 images of 525 different biological species, enabling it to effectively distinguish between shells from the Caribbean and Pacific, ensuring their proper reintegration into respective environments.

Remarkably, in 2024 alone, over 36,000 shells were successfully returned to their native habitats, restoring crucial functions within marine ecosystems. This achievement allowed for the release of previously occupied storage containers in one of the airports and marked a pivotal shift for Costa Rica in tackling the environmental issue.

Furthermore, FIFCO has made the open-source code of the model accessible to the scientific community, empowering other nations to develop their classification systems. The initiative also features a public platform aimed at curbing the collection of shells by providing educational and documentary content, ensuring community awareness and engagement.

As Costa Rica continues to pioneer sustainable practices and ecological restoration through advanced technology, the "Back Home" project exemplifies a comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship, blending innovation with responsibility. By reinstating these shells back into their natural environments, Costa Rica is not only preserving its unique coastal ecosystems but also setting an inspiring example for other nations to follow in the pursuit of sustainability.

For more information on the project, visit Imperial's website.