Tourism and conservation efforts don’t always go hand-in-hand, especially where new developments are involved.
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That being said, areas that rely on nature to attract tourists often work hard to preserve and even expand wildlife zones and natural corridors. In places like Brazil’s Pantanal, tourist dollars directly fund conservation projects while providing clean, safe work for locals. In the jungles of Rwanda, gorilla treks do a similar job, funding protection agencies while taking tourists off the beaten path into highland gorilla territory.
Another one of my favorite tourism-driven conservation projects can be found in Bali. Locals and immigrants alike have worked together to establish coral reel sculpture gardens that use electronic pulses to foster coral regrowth. Not only do tourists get to dive with tropical fish, but they’re helping restore marine ecosystems while they do.
Panama City Beach has a similar project. The city recently announced plans to add two new artificial beaches to the area, which is already home to more than 600 artificial reef projects. Here’s what you need to know if you love diving, saving the reefs, and the Sunshine State.
Panama City Beach to sink two vessels to create new artificial reef ecosystems
PCB has hundreds of artificial reefs that provide the habitat that marine life needs to thrive. These are managed by the local Coastal Resources team, which monitors marine life and helps organize projects like these. When marine life thrives, so does tourism, enabling activities like fishing, diving, and snorkeling.
In its efforts to preserve and expand marine ecosystems, PCB has sunk ships, like the Black Pearl, and reused concrete to provide structures for reefs to rebuild. This isn’t unique to Panama City Beach, as similar efforts have been deployed across the state.
But there is a pretty cool twist. PCB isn’t sinking just any material to encourage reef growth—it’s sinking two decommissioned boats. These include the Final Tow, a 100-foot towboat with three decks, and Final Haul, a 100-foot steel-hulled trawling boat. The former will be sunk 12 nautical miles from St. Andrews Pass while the latter will be sunk nine nautical miles offshore in 85-foot-deep waters.
