Marine biologists are growing new coral reef under these houses at The World Islands in Dubai.
European property developer, Kleindienst, is working on a unique project combining luxury and sustainability. The mega-project known as 'The Heart of Europe', is set over six islands, part of The World Islands, the artificial archipelago situated just 4km off Dubai's coastline.
It aims to be the ultimate luxury destination. It will have climate-controlled streets and 13 hotels, including an exclusive hotel with only one room.
Each of the islands developed by Kleindienst are named after European countries. One of them is surrounded by floating houses called Seahorses. Each house has 3 levels and spans over 370 square metres.
The wow factor comes as you venture to the lower level which is underwater, allowing residents to view marine life from their bedroom or bathroom.
Each house also has an underwater platform where marine biologists are growing a new coral reef. This coral reef will be a habitat for marine life native to the region.
Initially for small fish, this ecosystem is aimed to attract larger species and even sharks. Some 100,000 corals will be grown through a process called fragmentation, where a single coral is fragmented into multiple small corals. This speeds up the natural growing process.
In 2017 an extremely hot summer bleached about 70% of the UAE coral. The Heart of Europe marine life programme aims to bring back life to the surrounding waters.
