What Are Artificial Coral Reefs?
Artificial coral reefs form when man-made objects settle on the ocean floor and provide a hard surface that can support the development of a reef community.
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Accidental Reef Formation
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Artificial coral reefs often form on the hulls of sunken ships. They also frequently develop on and among the foundations of offshore drilling platforms, which are strong and stable enough to provide an ideal surface for reef formation.
Deliberate Reef Formation
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Artificial coral reefs are sometimes created deliberately to encourage marine biodiversity, affect water currents or create an appealing site for fishing and diving. They can also be strategically placed to help protect or revive natural coral reefs.
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Time Frame
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Coral reefs form slowly as sponges, corals, fans and other marine life attach to a hard surface and gradually create an ecosystem. Reefs typically grow at a rate of just a few centimeters per year, but modern artificial reefs are projected to thrive for several hundred years.
Materials
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The ideal foundation for reef formation is a hard, durable, stable substance, such as steel, rock or concrete. Many companies also sell kits and raw materials specifically designed to promote artificial reef formation.
Artificial Reef Promotion
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Driven largely by environmental concerns, organizations such as the California Artificial Reef Enhancement (CARE) Program, the Reef Ball Foundation and the Global Coral Reef Alliance are working to protect existing artificial reefs or encourage the creation of new ones.
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References
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- Photo Credit jbarreiros: Flickr.com
