El Biòtop de Torredembarra: creant el major escull rocós del món.

Artificial reefs have traditionally been used to attract fish, but their potential as a marine restoration tool remains an evolving field of study. Off the coast of Torredembarra, there is a living laboratory submerged beneath the waves —a pioneering initiative where marine biotopes, artificial calcareous reef structures created by Miquel Rota, founder of NAR, first took shape. El Biòtop was conceived as the first large-scale prototype of a “new generation” of artificial reefs, specifically designed to create thriving marine life oases. This vast structure has, in just two years, given rise to a fully functional ecosystem, establishing itself as a key hotspot for biodiversity: it has hosted 234 identified species, including 11 classified as endangered. This article examines how El Biòtop has emerged as an effective restoration tool and a dynamic marine observatory, offering new in-
sights into the role of artificial reefs as effective conservation strategies.