Antigua and Barbuda could manufacture artificial reef systems for export to other Caribbean countries and beyond, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Saturday, outlining an ambition to build an industry around coastal protection and marine restoration.

Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show, Browne said expertise being developed through local reef projects could also be offered internationally.

“Our ambition is to manufacture those reef systems here and even to export them within other Caribbean islands and beyond,” he said.

Browne did not announce a manufacturing facility, financing arrangements, export agreements or a timetable for production.

The proposal emerged during a discussion with marine scientist Dr. Deborah Brosnan about artificial reef structures installed at Peace Beach and how researchers are monitoring their development.

Brosnan explained that the structures mimic the shapes created by natural corals, providing spaces for marine life while allowing scientists to examine their potential to reduce wave energy and help retain sand along the shoreline.

She said the work could generate both products and knowledge that other island nations could use.

“I think the solutions developed here are ones that can be scaled to other parts of the world, to other island nations in the Caribbean and beyond,” Brosnan said.

She emphasized that the opportunity extended beyond manufacturing the structures to understanding where they should be placed, how to install them and how to assess their performance.

At Peace Beach, researchers have deployed a livestreaming underwater camera and a hydrophone — an underwater microphone — to observe fish and record sounds as the reef develops.

Brosnan said monitoring would help researchers understand how marine life responds to the structures and what could be learned from their design.

She described coastal protection, sand retention and support for marine biodiversity as goals of the project, with its performance still being studied.

Before the reef structures were installed, scientists surveyed the habitat and identified suitable placement areas, she said.

Browne also pointed to a larger reef project in Barbuda involving Brosnan and businessman John Paul DeJoria as another example of experience being developed locally.

Brosnan said small island states could play an important role in developing responses to coastal threats because of their dependence on the sea and shoreline.

“That’s where the innovation can happen,” she said. “That’s where the solutions that are developed here can be applied to other parts of the world.”

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda eyes manufacturing artificial reefs for export.