Sculpting solutions to protect the sea

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Inma Mora Sánchez

Journalist & communicator

Inma Mora Sánchez is a journalist and expert in interdisciplinary gender studies. Her career is connected to the social economy (the ‘third sector’) and socially impactful communications. She has taken part in projects on rural development, gender violence prevention and human rights promotion, and was a spokesperson for HelpAge Spain.

She currently works as a freelance journalist and communications and gender consultant, collaborating with organizations such as EthicLab, Viña del Mar University and APCGénero.

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Sculpture has long stood as one of the highest forms of artistic expression. From the classical works of Greece and Rome to contemporary creations, statues, busts, reliefs, and figures have held pride of place in public squares, museums and temples. But sculpture, as an art form that physically transforms space, can also be a refuge or a form of protest. Today, large-scale sculptural installations are being used to protect marine ecosystems and to prompt us to imagine alternative futures. These projects show that art, as well as being beautiful, can be a catalyst for meaningful change—for people and for the planet.

What will you find in this article?

• Casa dei Pesci: Art as a shield
• Jason deCaires Taylor’s underwater garden
• Washed Ashore: Transforming waste into awareness

Casa dei Pesci: Art as a shield

According to the FAO’s 2025 Review of the State of the World’s Marine Fisheries Resources, 64.5% of all fish stocks are harvested within biologically sustainable limits, and 77.2% of global landings come from biologically sustainable populations. However, 35.5% of fish stocks remain overexploited. The report also highlights that the Mediterranean continues to be one of the most heavily fished regions in the world, despite some improvements in recent years. Specifically, in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, although fishing pressure has dropped by 30% and biomass has increased by 15% since 2013, only 35.1% of fish stocks are caught sustainably.

The Mediterranean remains one of the most exploited areas in the world, despite improvements in data in recent years.

One of the region’s most destructive fishing practices remains bottom trawling, although efforts to regulate it are ongoing. In the Tuscan Maremma, local communities have long been working to protect marine biodiversity—and art has become a key part of that process. In 2006, a coastal protection initiative was launched by the Tuscany Region in collaboration with Paolo Fanciulli, known as Paolo il Pescatore (Paul the Fisherman). The project began by laying concrete blocks on the seabed to encourage marine life to return and to discourage illegal trawling. In 2012, the initiative took on a new dimension with the creation of La Casa dei Pesci (The House of Fish), a dedicated association.

Its first project transformed the seabed into a museum. Near the town of Talamone, 29 Carrara marble sculptures were submerged and are now visible to snorkellers. Off the coast of Alberese, 20 engraved marble blocks—featuring motifs from the historic Contrade of Siena—have also been installed. These sculptural elements not only deter trawling but also protect the Posidonia seagrass meadows and provide shelter for marine species.

These blocks and sculptures, submerged in the sea, not only deter illegal fishing, but also protect Posidonia and create natural refuges for marine fauna.

Now, the association hopes to expand the initiative to other parts of the coast, using new blocks designed specifically for marine regeneration. As the team behind La Casa dei Pesci explains, the project “not only protects the sea and seabed of the Tuscan Maremma, but also reminds us that beauty can become a form of resistance.”

Jason deCaires Taylor's underwater garden

British sculptor and environmental activist Jason deCaires Taylor is widely known for his large-scale underwater installations that merge art and ecology. One of his most emblematic works is an underwater sculpture park in the Molinere Beauséjour Marine Area, a protected zone off the coast of Grenada. Since 2006, this underwater garden has slowly evolved, shaped by ocean currents and marine life. Created using materials such as concrete and reinforcing bars, the sculptures function as artificial reefs that support coral colonisation and attract marine species. Alongside their ecological role, they also offer a powerful narrative about Grenada’s history, culture and identity.

The works, made from durable materials such as concrete and reinforcing bars, serve as artificial reefs that encourage colonisation by corals and other marine species.

Among the standout pieces is Vicissitudes, a circle of human figures of various ages holding hands, symbolising the relationship between childhood, nature and the passage of time. The Lost Correspondent, another notable work, reflects on the obsolescence of the written word in the digital age. The project also includes Coral Carnival, an installation featuring sculptures by local artists inspired by traditional carnival characters, curated by Taylor.

Another of his major contributions can be seen at the Museo Atlántico in Lanzarote. This underwater museum houses over 300 life-size sculptures made from pH-neutral concrete. These installations are designed to evolve into artificial reefs, attracting marine life and contributing to the restoration of underwater ecosystems. Accessible to divers and snorkellers, they offer a rare fusion of art, science and activism.

Among the most striking works are The Raft of Lampedusa, Crossing the Rubicon, and The Human Gyroscope, which speak to the global migration crisis, artificial borders, and our growing disconnect from nature. Together, they highlight how artistic intervention can challenge perceptions and provoke critical reflection.

Washed Ashore: transforming waste with awareness

Not all marine-inspired sculptures lie beneath the sea. On the Pacific coast of the United States, one project is taking a very different approach—by confronting us with what we often try to ignore: waste. Artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi founded Washed Ashore to raise awareness of plastic pollution in oceans, rivers and coastal environments. With the help of volunteers, the project collects plastic waste from beaches and transforms it into large-scale sculptures of marine animals: sea turtles made from flip-flops, whales crafted from bottles and nets, and octopuses assembled from discarded toys and packaging.

The project is supported by the Artula Institute for Arts and Education, which promotes environmental learning through the arts. Over the years, Washed Ashore has grown into a travelling exhibition and a hub of creative environmental advocacy, with new sculptures added regularly.

This project manages to turn waste into agents of change. Beyond cleaning beaches, it uses art as a powerful tool for reflection. And it does so with an aesthetic that, despite its beauty, never hides its origin: plastic is present, visible, uncomfortable and impossible to ignore. Angela Haseltine Pozzi says she will continue this work as long as there is plastic on beaches.

These and other initiatives show that art not only inspires through aesthetics, but can also raise awareness, promote environmental care, and encourage the protection of our seas and oceans.