How to Build an Island in the Sea

Building your own island isn't an impossibility, provided you are willing to work the steps necessary to ensure that your project has the proper sanction from government and the right engineering. If you're hoping to construct your own coral atoll--a chain of islands around a central lagoon--you'll need to wait for the coral to grow, which could take longer than your lifetime. If you simply want a sand-and-gravel island, the process will move along more quickly.

Things You'll Need

• Nautical chart
• Necessary government documentation
• Suitable construction materials
• Land transportation providers
• Sea transportation providers
• Underwater contractors
• Dirt
• Sod
• Trees

Instructions

1. Find a suitable location for your island and lease a parcel the size of the island you want to build. In the United States., the U.S. Government claims a 200 nautical mile "exclusive economic zone," a 12 nautical mile "contiguous zone" and 12 nautical miles of "territorial waters" under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

   The seabed under these waters is divided into parcels under the control of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U. S. Department of the Interior, which leases these parcels in sealed bid auctions for mineral exploitation, including oil and gas exploration and drilling.

   This type and circumstances of ownership might vary from country to country.

2. Investigate the characteristics of the seabed in the area in which you propose to build. Generally, for island building, this would mean little more than referring to a nautical chart to determine the depth of the area to determine how much fill material you will need to construct the island.

   For example, if you plan to build a 1 acre island in waters 50 ft. deep, you will need to assemble a mass that's at least 50 ft. high, by 208.7 ft. wide, by 208.7 ft. long, or about 2,177,784 cu. ft. (61,674.843 cubic meters), in order to construct the island.

   Depending on the location, other considerations, such as the environmental impact of constructing an island at a particular location, might require additional reports or permits. There might be environmental constraints that render otherwise suitable locations impractical.

3. Find and acquire suitable materials to construct the island. Treaties, such as the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL), will restrict the deposit of certain materials, such as plastic, in any waters. Other materials, which may be considered garbage or refuse, might not be discharged from ships.

4. Arrange transportation of the materials from their location on shore to the port nearest the planned location of the island. In addition to inland transportation, you will also need to arrange for sea transportation of the materials.

   Depending on the location, you might be required to use local diving companies or underwater contractors to oversee the underwater construction effort, even if that effort is nothing more than dropping the material into the ocean.

5. Have the transportation contractors transport the materials to the site. Have the underwater contractor see that the materials are set over the side of the transporting vessel so that they go directly to the correct bottom location. Continue "stacking" materials in place until the island appears above the sea surface. Surface the island with dirt, sod and trees, if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Most underwater contractors are familiar with both construction from the seabed to the surface and can arrange for specialized cranes, barges and other equipment to deposit materials at exact locations on the ocean floor.

• If you construct an island outside the territorial limits of the United States, remember that it will become part of the sovereign territory of that country.

• Construction of an island outside of the territorial waters of any country is almost impossible because of the constraints imposed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which ensures an "unobstructed right of navigation on the high seas."

References

• USGS.gov: Boundaries of the Exclusive Economic Zones of the United States and Territories
• MMS.gov: The Minerals Management Service Fact Sheet
• EPA.gov: The MARPOL Treaty

Resources

• Global Industries: Subsea Contracting Worldwide