The highly urbanized coast negatively impact the neighboring seabed. This observation made and because of the general inaction, Architeuthis is committed, with its own funds, to contrive sustainable solutions.
Coastal fish lifecycle in natural environment
Coastal fish lifecycle in natural environment
During the breeding season, adult fish gather in open water. It is there and also near the bottom that eggs are laid and will hatch, before being dispersed by the currents in the pelagic environment. Among a hundred of eggs, only a single larva will survive. They will then evolve and 10% of them will acquire the status of a post-larvae. They move rapidly towards the coast, area more favorable to their development.
These few days of installation are a dangerous phase where the mortality rate is high (90%). Once installed, finding shelter and food, the juveniles grow up in a favorable habitat for their development. Then, several months later they reach a larger size and rejoin adults in their habitat to continue their growth becoming in turn breeding adults. Ultimately, only 1 out of 1 million will reach the recruitment phase in natural habitat. Fish reproduction cycle is very fragile.
Impact of human pressure on the ecosystem
However, anthropogenic pressures, meaning "caused directly or indirectly by the action of peopled", upsetting the ecosystem of aquatic environments. For example, among the effects of such constraints, it can be recorded the following :
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Pollution: Coastal streams with their polluants inputs can contaminate the environment of the fauna and the flora. Waste and macro-waste from large cities together with releases in marine environment are also a source of contamination. In the same way, illegal discharges from ships, especially during the degassing have an important impact.
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Destruction: The underwater habitats can be destroyed by hoses and towed gears or anchoring systems. Artificial coastlines can also damage the shallow seabed such as construction, fillings or facilities dedicated to seaside tourism.
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Species extinction: The number of fish decreases substantially in recent years, due to the pressures of fishing and the introduction, deliberately or not new competing species to those already present in the community. The coastal shallow seabed and marine inhabitants are subject to numerous degradation risks, whereas they are necessary as reproductive cycles to this land / sea interface.
To overcome these problems, Architeuthis offers a range of reefs. Such solutions help to limit antropic pressures and also to rehabilitate damaged ecosystems.
