An Underwater Art Gallery Protects Natural Climate Change Solutions

Meadows of seagrass once flourished alongside the shores of Talamone, Italy, but have since diminished in size due to bottom trawling, an illegal practice where chain-weighted nets scrape the seabed. This seagrass is crucial for fighting climate change as it captures more carbon dioxide than the Amazon rainforest. Further, a 2021 paper detailed that if seagrass is protected around the world, it could lower global carbon emissions each year by 1% by 2030—about half the output of the aviation industry. The lack of regulation to protect a potent, natural climate change solution led fisherman Paolo Fanciulli to found Casa dei Pesci, an underwater art gallery of 39 white carrara marble sculptures from leading artists including Emily Young. The sculptures are mesmerizing and also snag nets and trawlers to prevent them from destroying the seagrass, providing a habitat for plants and fish. Learn more about the project at Wired.

Image courtesy of Carlo Bonazza/Casa dei Pesci

Via wired.co.uk link opens in a new window