4 Exciting Artificial Reef Projects to Watch
The 2020s are proving to be the definitive decade for ocean conservation and environmental change. In 2023, 200 member nations of the UN signed the Treaty of the High Seas, which will create marine protected areas in international waters.
Besides this treaty, governments and private organizations are working together to create more artificial reefs, which help restore organic coral reefs and provide habitats for marine life. Here are a few different artificial reefs that are launching in the next few years.
1. Coffs Harbour and Ballina
Coffs Harbour and Ballina in New South Wales, Australia, are the newest designated homes for two artificial reefs.
Set to launch in 2024, these reefs will be built using structures placed on the ocean floor and are two of 13 artificial reefs around New South Wales. The goal of the reefs is to help produce fish habitats that can support recreational fishing without causing detrimental effects to marine habitats in the area. They will be targeted at attracting spotted mackerel, pearl perch, snapper, mulloway, and yellowtail kingfish.
The project is projected to help boost tourism in the area and bolster the recreational fishing economy, which is valued at more than $3 billion in New South Wales. As a result, not only will the reefs help support ocean conservation, but they’ll also help support the local economy.
2. Bonita Beach Reef
Another part of the world that will see the construction of an artificial reef is the Gulf of Mexico. The reef will be placed 10 miles off the coast of Bonita Beach in Florida and is designed to help marine professionals in the area study environmental events and the rebound of marine life after these types of events.
The artificial reef will be made of 18 concrete culverts dropped onto the ocean floor. The culverts are donations from a local cement company in nearby Cape Coral. Once the culverts have been placed on the ocean floor, the reef will span 11 acres.
Besides offering a way to study environmental issues in the area, such as Florida’s red tide, the project will also allow scientists to study water quality. The result could create new and better solutions for combatting negative effects on water quality in Florida.
3. Okaloosa Reefs
Besides Bonita Beach, another Florida county that has plans to create artificial reefs is Okaloosa. This year, the Okaloosa Tourist Development Council has allocated $2 million toward working on a five-year artificial reef plan.
These artificial reefs will be created using large vessels, which will be sunk in nearshore and offshore areas to provide habitats for marine life. The plan will take several months and may be completed in early 2024.
As of right now, the four vessels that are part of the plan are:
● M/V Crimson White: A 135-ft. tugboat with a thick hull, ideal for marine plant growth. The exact location where this barge will be sunk still has not been determined.
● Oil Rig Jacket and Barge: A 90-ft. structure from a retired oil rig in Texas. The jacket will be placed off Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
● M/V Deep Stim III: A 270-foot-long well-stimulation vessel that will be placed in either Walton or Bay County.
● Large Cargo Vessel: A 360-foot-long vessel from Louisiana that will be sunk in Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
Meanwhile, Destin High School’s newly established fishing class has proposed an artificial reef project that will result in a total of 10 reefs made by the class over each semester.
4. North Carolina Artificial Reef
North Carolina has also made significant efforts toward artificial reef creation. The government has announced plans to use the remains of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge to create an artificial reef off the state’s coast. The bridge was officially replaced in 2019.
The demolished bridge, which amounts to 80,000 tons of concrete, has been deposited at eight artificial reefs in Oregon Inlet, Ocracoke Inlet, Beaufort Inlet, and Bogue Inlet. These inlets all make up the Outer Banks.
North Carolina currently maintains 68 different artificial reefs. Additionally, the state will continue to grow the artificial reefs that they currently have in place along different sections of the state’s coastline.
Final Thoughts
There are several new artificial reef projects being launched around the world. The goal of these reefs is to conserve the oceans, improve declining habitats, and foster economic growth due to related tourism.
