While there is plenty of focus on the destruction of coral reefs, people really are doing some things right in an effort to make marine environments better for the animals that live there – and for the people who rely on them, too. One of the best things we can do for marine environments is to create artificial reefs; right now, this is occurring all over, at an unprecedented pace. So, what is an artificial reef, why is it constructed, and what benefits does it provide? Here, we’ll answer these questions and more.
Artificial Reef Basics
Artificial reefs are structures which are placed underwater to provide a place for marine life to live. Artificial reefs have hard surfaces that promote sessile marine life attachment; corals, barnacles, oysters, and other animals can thrive on these surfaces. The best artificial reefs also have built in hiding places, which attract animals that need shelter from predation and from strong currents. Finally, all the life that is attracted to an artificial reef eventually attracts more and more fish, until a complete marine community is present and thrives. Last but not least, these structures and the creatures that rely on them attract scuba divers and surfers, taking pressure off natural reef structures that need to heal from past damage.
In ancient times, people constructed artificial reefs for different reasons, but these reefs still benefitted marine life. Originally, artificial reefs were built to demarcate territory and demonstrate power; they were commonly constructed by civilizations from Persia to Rome, and were used both for containment and for thwarting hostile forces.
The history of the construction of artificial reefs for marine culture purposes also dates back several centuries. Japan was a pioneer in constructing artificial reefs, actively working to create appropriate substrate for cultivating kelp forests as early as the 16th century. By the 1830s, the United States had also ventured into reef building, constructing artificial reefs off the coast of South Carolina in order to attract marine life. In turn, fishing yields improved significantly.
How Artificial Reefs are Constructed
There are numerous methods used in artificial reef construction. While just about any object or group of objects that end up underwater will eventually turn into an artificial reef under the right circumstances, some items are preferred over others. For example, materials such as PVC and concrete are very popular.
Existing structures including spent oil rigs and unseaworthy vessels also make excellent artificial reefs, particularly from a diving standpoint. Rubble, construction debris, and even heaps of old tires can be dropped into position for use as reef structures, and specially constructed shapes called reef balls can also be used. These modules have a 500 year life expectancy, and each is capable of supporting an estimated 400 pounds of marine fauna and flora.
If you’d like to dive a variety of artificial reefs, there’s nowhere better to do it than Florida. Here, you’ll find one of the most active artificial reef construction programs available anywhere, plus you’ll discover interesting structures such as Neptune Memorial Reef, which is an underwater cemetery where cremated remains have been incorporated with statuary to create a beautiful underwater memorial garden.
No matter why an artificial reef is constructed, care should be taken with setting it in place. Randomly dumping waste, as was common during previous centuries, is the least appropriate method of reef creation. For example, dropping spent automobiles might be a great idea, but only if harmful petroleum products are removed prior to setting them in place. The same can be said of deploying ships and boats as artificial reefs – all harmful fluids and other potentially harmful substances including paint containing lead, must be removed from the structures before they are dropped into the ocean.
In addition, placement is important. In the past, people dropped rubbish including typewriters, old bicycles, copy machines, and refrigerators onto the ocean floor – mostly to get rid of it. When heavy storms occurred, many of these items made their way back to shore, necessitating further cleanup. Today, artificial reefs are carefully constructed so that they act as breakwaters rather than causing worse problems in the aftermath of a storm.
Pros and Cons of Artificial Reefs
Artificial reefs bring many advantages with them – the most significant being in the spurt of marine life activity that occurs after they’re set in place. Besides providing shelter, breeding sites, and habitat for marine creatures small and large alike, these structures help coastal communities by keeping erosion in check. In addition, they help communities more and more, the longer they stay in place, by attracting snorkelers and divers, who in turn spend money on lodging, food and drink, and other items. In many places, artificial reefs increase the availability of fish for recreational and commercial fishing. As fish numbers increase, so do yields.
There are several negative aspects that need to be considered during planning and construction of artificial reefs. As long as careful consideration is given, the “cons” can often be avoided. For example, it’s important to decontaminate items before using them in artificial reef construction. Failing to decontaminate building materials can harm marine life and make problems worse.
When reefs are randomly created, environmental damage can result. Osborne Reef in Florida is a good example of an artificial reef that ultimately caused headaches for planners. It was created by dumping tons of used tires into the water. The tires that broke free from the main reef structure floated to natural reef sites, causing quite a bit of damage. As the structure was terribly unstable, a multi-million dollar cleanup effort had to be undertaken.
So long as materials used are nontoxic, and so long as stability is considered during construction, artificial reefs bring nothing but good along with them. So whether you’re interested in underwater sculptures, mazes made with PVC pipes, or sunken boats and historic warships, you’ll find that artificial reefs prove to be the perfect places to dive. Abundant marine life, interesting features, and easy depths – what else could one ask for? Happy diving!