Designing and Installing Community-Built Reef Units in Telchac, Yucatán

A year after installing our first CCell pilot reef, we were thrilled to be invited to participate in a community-led coastal restoration project in Telchac Puerto, Yucatán, in October 2022.

As part of this initiative, students from the local marine school, Cetmar Telchac, designed four unique 3D underwater sculptures. Each piece was brought to life by local welders, combining creativity, education, and craftsmanship.

To support the project, CCell provided electrolysis equipment that enabled a natural mineral accretion process, forming a durable limestone layer across each structure — a method that strengthens the reef units while promoting coral settlement and marine biodiversity.

These community-built reef sculptures were installed in the newly established Telchac Puerto Marine Water Park, an area envisioned as both a subaquatic museum and a marine conservation zone. This initiative not only enhances environmental protection but also contributes to sustainable economic diversification through eco-tourism opportunities such as snorkelling and scuba diving tours.

We were proud to collaborate with the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY), whose architecture students transformed initial artistic concepts into detailed manufacturable designs, later built and installed by the local community.

This project represents a powerful example of how engineering innovation, education, and local engagement can come together to restore coastal ecosystems. Our work in Telchac continues to demonstrate the potential of CCell’s technology to deliver coastal protection, marine biodiversity enhancement, and community-driven conservation tourism — all in one system.