
During its 12 years of existence, among Costa Humboldt’s accomplishments are pioneering conservaiton program to protect the rocky reef fish, publishing dozens of scientific reports and papers, devising 8 management plans for Coastal and Marine Spaces of Indigenous People (ECMPO), and developing and affecting public policies at international and national levels.
“It is no longer possible to see our seas as a faithful and inexhaustible supplier of resources. That vision has changed drastically, mainly because of the strong and pronounced changes that the oceans are undergoing,” says Luciano Hiriart-Bertrand, founder and CEO of Costa Humboldt, and a marine biologist with a masters degree from the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.
Costa Humboldt views marine ecosystems themselves as places of collaboration, capable of sustaining the existence of ancient forms of life and, at the same time, making room for the cultural and economic activities of the present era, and thus making possible a new equilibrium between natural and cultural systems.
But he adds that with ocean degradation advancing rapidly in recent degrades, his organization is necessarily placing a strong emphasis, too, on regenerating marine ecosystems.
“At Costa Humboldt, we address these challenges through ecological restoration programs that seek to recover underwater algal meadows, natural shoals, and fisheries,” said Hirart-Bertrand. “Our approach to the productive conservation of brown algae is articulated along three lines: conservation of natural meadows, restoration of degraded areas, and brown algae aquaculture. This model, in collaboration with local communities, promotes biomass recovery, facilitating the regeneration of key species and the creation of sustainable economic opportunities for the region.”
Visit Costa Humboldt at www.costahumboldt.org for more information