Costa Rica is a pioneering destination in sustainability, renowned for its dedication to green travel, with the preservation of the environment at the heart of its tourism strategy. Its latest initiatives include a groundbreaking collaboration between a host of Costa Rican institutions and NASA to transform ocean monitoring and marine conservation. ‘De Vuelta a Casa’, or ‘Back Home’, is a new machine learning application designed to determine the origins of displaced seashells, a vital element of the Costa Rican ecosystem.

Pcolor : A pioneering initiative for the protection of the oceans
In partnership with NASA, the Costa Rican Fishing Federation (FECOP), the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the National University (UNA), Costa Rica has recently launched the Pacific Color Expedition (Pcolor) project. This initiative uses cutting-edge technology, including NASA’s PACE satellite, to monitor marine ecosystems along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and aims to detect and mitigate the effects of red tides, a harmful type of algal bloom, that threatens marine biodiversity.

Marina Marrari, Executive Director of FECOP, underlines the importance of this collaboration, stating that “by joining forces with NASA and local universities, we are strengthening our capacity to protect our oceans. This ensures that our natural heritage remains intact for future generations”.

The data collected during the Pcolor expedition will help develop strategies for the sustainable management of marine resources. This information will be accessible through FECOP’s PezCA app, providing researchers and policymakers with valuable tools to take action.

Technological advances for the preservation of seashells: “De vuelta a casa”
Every year, 5 tonnes of seashells are extracted from the Costa Rican coastline by visitors. This is detrimental to the environment as seashells are crucial for the prevention of coastal erosion, survival of marine organisms and overall maintenance of ecological balance. While the shells are confiscated at Juan Santamaria Airport (Costa Rica’s national airport), another problem arises; did the shells come from the Pacific or Caribbean coast and how can they be returned to their rightful homes?

To answer this question, the ‘Back Home’ project led by Florida Ice and Farm Company (FIFCO) was conceived. This is an artificial intelligence tool that allows seashells that were once abandoned at the airport to be classified accurately and returned safely back home. This is the first programme of its kind and is the first seashell database that integrates species from both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. With the help of more than 200 volunteers, over 516 species of shells were analysed, photographed and categorised into a database that allows their origin to be identified with a single picture.

Thanks to this model, 36,000 seashells were returned to their native environments in 2024, clearing once full storage containers and signifying a fresh strategy for Costa Rica in tackling this pressing problem.

A user-friendly version of this web-application was developed that allowed a range of users upload their own images and receive real time results. FIFCO also collaborated with Imperial Beer, one of Costa Rica’s leading beer manufacturers, to produce a documentary to emphasise the importance of seashells and how they can be enjoyed in their natural habitat.

The initiatives highlighted in the NASA and seashells releases exemplify Costa Rica’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. These efforts reflect Costa Rica’s forward-thinking strategy in addressing environmental challenges, demonstrating a profound dedication to ecological preservation and the well-being of its natural resources.

For more information about Costa Rica, please visit: www.visitcostarica.com