Cancun, Q.R. — A company has submitted an Environmental Impact Statement for the construction of an eternal reef sea sanctuary. The request is for permission to create 700 reef-plots on the seafloor in the form of artificial reefs as a final resting place for people.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the company would have a period of “seven years and have a useful life of 500 years, which is considered for the operation and maintenance period,” for their underwater cemetery.
Capillas y Cementerios del Norte, S.A.P.I. de C. V., the company promoting the project, wants to construct the underwater reef-plots in the marine zone of Bahía de Mujeres and the immediate coastal zone of the Caribbean Sea, facing the Municipality of Benito Juárez (Cancun).
The entire “Mare Santuario del Mar project is an area of three polygons with a total area of 343,296 m2 (34 ha). The project area will be 595 m2 and 737 m2, which correspond to between 0.17 and 0.21% of the total area,” the statement detailed.
The “MARE Santuario del Mar” project involves the placement of artificial reefs with concrete structures called Reef Balls® under the “Eternal Reef” concept in the marine zone of Bahía de Mujeres and the immediate coastal zone of the Caribbean Sea.
It is an innovative concept with ecological characteristics that aims to deposit a “Memorial Pearl” in a marine environment. This pearl is made up of a mixture of cement and ashes from human remains, processed using specialized techniques. This process contributes to the generation of marine life by allowing the remains to be preserved in a natural and sustainable habitat.
A strategic plan has been designed for the placement of 700 Reef Balls® of the Mini Bay Ball® model on the seafloor, with the goal of significantly contributing to the restoration and conservation of the marine ecosystem, as well as preserving submerged aquatic vegetation, with an emphasis on seagrass.
These specialized structures are recognized for their effectiveness in regenerating marine habitats and will be acquired from the Reef Ball Foundation®, a leader in the development of sustainable solutions for the oceans.
The structures will modify the topography of the area, increasing the complexity of the seascape and allowing various species, primarily fish, to congregate in and around the site.
Over time, the structures will be colonized by diverse algae species, encrusting sponges, small coral colonies, and other marine organisms, increasing biodiversity in the area. Ultimately, the structures will simulate a reef with all its characteristic ecological functions and ecosystem services.
The request was submitted April 22 for consideration by Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales that would allow humans to become part of the local artificial reef system.
