Museo Atlántico – Europe’s first underwater museum – has been inaugurated as British underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor’s creation of more than 300 works opens 12m (39ft) below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

Located just off the coast of Lanzarote, Taylor’s sculptures are made from specialised marine cement that is 20 times more durable than normal construction cement and impervious to saltwater.

Installed between February and December 2016, a series of 12 installations include a 30-metre-long (98.4ft) wall weighing roughly 100 tons, a children’s playground populated by suited businessmen and a selection of more than 200 life-size human figures.

The project takes conservation to heart, with the statues designed to help create a large-scale artificial reef which will increase marine biomass and grow local fish population. According to an official release, earlier works installed less than a year ago have seen an increase of more than 200 per cent in marine biomass.

“The artistic installation reminds us that we have evolved from marine life, and are all subject to the movements and will of the ocean,” said Taylor. “The piece embodies our naked vulnerability to its inherent power, and our fragility in the face of its cycles and immense force. It provides the oxygen we breathe, it regulates our climate and it provides a vital source of nutrition to millions of people.”

Museo Atlantico has been funded by the Achenbach Art Foundation and the regional government. Taylor has previously created similar displays in Mexico for the Museo Subacuático de Arte.

Haunting and beautiful: Europe's first underwater museum set to open in Lanzarote