Editing Floating island (section)

== Artificial floating islands ==
{{further|Artificial island}}
[[File:Loktak Lake1.jpg|thumb|right|Circular [[phumdis]], called ''athampum'', were artificially built for fishing in [[Loktak Lake]]]]

Floating [[artificial island]]s are generally made of bundled reeds, and the best known examples are those of the [[Uros]] people of [[Lake Titicaca]], [[Peru]], who build their villages upon what are in effect huge rafts of bundled [[Totora (plant)|totora]] reeds. The Uros originally created their islands to prevent attacks by their more aggressive neighbours, the [[Inca]]s and [[Colla people|Collas]].

The [[Aztec]] capital, [[Tenochtitlan]], was surrounded with ''[[chinampa]]s'', small artificial islands used for agriculture known as "floating gardens" (though not really floating). Floating gardens on a large scale have been demonstrated with [[aquaponics]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aquabiofilter.com | title=Aquaponics floating biofilter grows rice on fish ponds| first=Tom |last=Duncan |website=Aqua BioFilter | access-date=2014-01-20}}</ref> systems in China growing rice, wheat and canna lily on islands<!--, with some installations exceeding {{convert|10000|m2|acres|abbr=on}}. Wrong: the 10,000 m2 figure in the following source refers to "China's combined stormwater and sewerage system", not specifically floating gardens-->.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.wme.com.au/categories/water/oct5_09.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025163619/http://www.wme.com.au/categories/water/oct5_09.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-10-25 |first=Tom |last=Duncan |title=Waste Management and Environment – Floating new ideas| magazine=WME Magazine |access-date= 2014-01-20}}</ref>

[[Spiral Island]] was a more modern one-person effort to build an artificial floating island, on the Caribbean coast of [[Mexico]]. Modern artificial islands mimicking the floating reedbeds of the Uros are increasingly used by [[local government]]s and [[drainage basin|catchment]] managers to improve [[water quality]] at source, reducing [[pollutants]] in surface water bodies and providing [[biodiversity]] [[habitat]]. Examples include [[Gold Coast City Council]]<ref name="GCCC">{{cite web|url=http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/environment/floating-reed-beds-10086.html | title=City of Gold Coast Floating Reedbeds | publisher=Gold Coast City Council | access-date=2014-01-20}}</ref> in Australia. Artificial floating reedbeds are commonly anchored to the shoreline or bottom of water body, to ensure the system does not float away in a storm event or create a hazard.

During [[World War II]], the British [[Project Habakkuk]] proposed the construction of [[aircraft carrier]]s made of ice-like [[Pykrete]]. Its size and speed made it more of an artificial [[iceberg]] or island than a ship.

Commercial development of floating islands has begun taking place. Floating habitat islands were installed with [[salicornia]] salt marsh plants at [[Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales|Sydney Olympic Park Authority]] in 2011<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sopa.nsw.gov.au/resource_centre/park_news/2012_park_news/floating_islands_support_waterbird_populations |title=Floating islands support waterbird populations |publisher=Sydney Olympic Park Authority |date=2012-08-15 |access-date=2014-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012011227/http://www.sopa.nsw.gov.au/resource_centre/park_news/2012_park_news/floating_islands_support_waterbird_populations |archive-date=2014-10-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> providing nesting sites for local and migratory birds including [[black swan]]s, [[black-winged stilt]]s, [[red-necked avocet]]s, [[Pacific black duck]]s and [[chestnut teal]]s, using the Aqua Biofilter product.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aquabiofilter.com/guidecasestudies.html | title=Floating habitat islands |website=Aqua BioFilter | date=17 July 2011 | access-date=2014-01-20}}</ref> The world's largest vegetated floating islands {{convert|4|acre|order=flip}} in size were installed in 2004 using Aqua Biofilter product with [[canna (plant)|canna]] at [[Lake Tai]], China using materials including a combination of polyurethane open cell filter foam, closed cell polyethylene flotation foam, bamboo and coconut fibre filter foam mix with wicking ability to supply water to plant roots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://permaculturenews.org/2014/10/14/worlds-largest-aquaponics-project-chinas-third-largest-aquaculture-lake/ |first=Tom |last=Duncan | title=World's Largest Aquaponics Project, in China's Third Largest Aquaculture Lake |publisher=Permaculture Research Institute |date=2014-10-14 |access-date=2014-10-28}}</ref>

A commercially produced floating island was installed in the [[North American river otter|river otter]] enclosure at [[Zoo Montana]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://floatingislandinternational.com/pdf/Zoo-otters.pdf |title=Zoo Montana installs a BioHaven in Otter enclosure |publisher=Floating Island International |date=19 September 2007 |access-date=2010-06-29 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2009 and the beginning of 2010, a few larger islands were launched to provide nesting habitat for [[Caspian tern]] colonies. The largest of the islands, at a record-setting {{convert|44000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}, was launched into the water at [[Sheepy Lake]]. These islands are a collaboration between the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]], [[Oregon State University]], and Floating Islands West, a Floating Island International license holder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birdresearchnw.org/Feature-Story/348002.aspx/ |first1=Stacy |last1=Moore |first2=Sarah |last2=Austing |title=Floating Island Constructed for Caspian Tern Nesting at Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge |publisher=Bird Research Northwest |date=1998-03-22 |access-date=2010-06-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725074836/http://www.birdresearchnw.org/Feature-Story/348002.aspx/ |archive-date=2011-07-25 }}</ref>

A US Army Corps of Engineers project was built in 2012 in [[The Hideout, Pennsylvania]], as part of a [[watershed management]] project. The floating island was created to mimic nature; help improve water quality, including reducing [[phosphorus]] levels; and buffer habitats against surges in nutrients and pollution.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.wayneindependent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121012/NEWS/121019927/1001/NEWS |first=Kelly |last=Waters |title=Watershed management project |work=Wayne Independent |date=2012-10-16}}</ref>

Buoyancy in artificial floating reedbeds is commonly provided by polyethylene or polyurethane foam, or polyethylene plastic containing air voids. Growth media include coconut fibre; mats made of polyester or recycled PET bottles; synthetic geotechnical mat; jute; soil; and sand.{{Citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Artificial floating islands are sometimes made by planting cattails and other plants on floating plastic rafts in order to reduce phosphorus levels in the water.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/sep/02/clear-inspiration/ |first=Becky |last=Kramer |title=Floating wetlands clear inspiration |work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> In [[Cleveland]]'s [[Cuyahoga River]] floating rafts were made to restore fish populations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/09/greening_the_cuyahoga_river_ma.html|title=Greening the Cuyahoga River: Man-made floating plant islands the latest scheme in recovery efforts|first=Michael|last=Scott|work=Metro News|location=Cleveland, Ohio|date=2011-09-03}}</ref>

Artificial floating islands have been sought out as structures for different habitational and industrial purposes,<ref name="c357">{{cite web | title=Floating islands to work and live on | website=CORDIS | date=2020-10-22 | url=https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/422445-floating-islands-to-work-and-live-on | access-date=2024-08-13}}</ref> e.g. floating [[oil rig]]s.