To ensure an artificial reef supports aquatic systems effectively, it requires careful planning with attention to a range of scientific, legal, environmental and social factors. Before implementing an artificial reef, it is essential to take the following considerations into account. Here (pg 10-11) is a more extensive checklist of questions to consider before implementing an artificial reef project.
- Define Goals and Objectives: Identify the main purpose of the artificial reef. Goals may include restoring marine habitats, supporting biodiversity, protecting coastlines, or supporting marine tourism. Clearly defined objectives will support long term success.
- Legal: Be aware of all the legal requirements involved before starting the project. Discuss options and requirements with local authorities. Apply for all the necessary permits needed to implement an artificial reef in your area.
- Site Selection: Selecting an appropriate site is key to the success of an artificial reef. The location should naturally support marine life while offering protection from storm damage and minimize the risk of human disturbance. Additionally, it is important to conduct an environmental impact assessment to evaluate how the reef might affect the surrounding ecosystem and how the environment can influence the reef’s performance.
- Materials: All materials used must be non-toxic, safe for marine life, and durable. If using recycled materials, it must be cleaned and decontaminated properly. Additionally, the reef design should mimic natural reefs by incorporating various textures, holes, ledges and crevices to support a variety of aquatic life.
- Stakeholder engagement: A team of interdisciplinary experts such as engineers, scientists, NGO’s, policy makers, local fisheries, and the local community will need to come together to consider various topics before implementation occurs.
- Long term sustainability: Artificial reefs are long term projects that require periodic maintenance and observation. Benchmark data should be recorded to keep track of changes over the years. Additionally, long term monitoring plans need to be set in place as well as adaptive management plans to make adjustments as needed. Here is a detailed document that lays out a long term plan for implementing and monitoring an artificial reef project.
- Economic: A cost-benefit analysis needs to be established for the project, taking into account both short-term and long-term expenses. This includes the costs associated with sourcing materials, transportation, deployment, monitoring and maintenance. It is also important to explore and evaluate potential funding sources to support the project’s implementation and sustainability.
Materials required:
Materials needed for an artificial reef depend on the structure, location and intended purpose. However, generally, the following materials are commonly used. It is important that all materials used need to be environmentally safe and non disruptive to the marine ecosystem.
Reef Structure
- Concrete, steel, stone, recycled material, 3D printed material, cables, screws, adhesive. The ratio of weight to surface area is important when choosing structures (follow local guidelines for this).
Cleaning
- Pressure washers, brushes, sponges, degreasers, protective coating.
Deployment
- Trucks, boats, cranes, lifts, scuba diving gear, buoys.
Monitoring
- Underwater cameras, GPS monitors, water quality monitoring systems.
Documentation
- Educational material, training, manuals, data sheets, monitoring logs, maps, environmental impact assessment tools..
Steps of implementation
- Prepare, assemble and clean materials: Source and/or construct the reef material according to the design. If needed, clean the reef materials based on local marine environmental safety guidelines. Assemble various parts as needed.
- Transport the materials to the designated location: Coordinate transportation vehicles, cranes, divers, GPS and other equipment needed for deployment. Mark the designated location with buoys before deployment. Once all materials are brought to the designated location lower the materials using cranes or divers. Ensure the structure is securely on the seafloor in the correct position.
- Baseline assessment: After deployment, confirm that the structures remain stable and undamaged during deployment. Additionally, record baseline data such as species composition, habitat assessment, water quality, and wave activity.
- Monitor after deployment: Implement a monitoring plan to track reef performance and ecological impact such as biodiversity, water quality, habitat establishment, and invasive species. Additionally check for physical damage and make repairs and adjustments as needed.
Considerations for application:
- Ecosystem changes: After implementation, local ecosystems can change in both positive and negative ways. A monitoring plan must be adopted to keep track of all changes to the local ecosystem.
- Invasive species: Artificial reefs can attract invasive species that may compete with native marine life, thus creating an unbalanced ecosystem.
- Popular artificial reef sites have the potential for snorkelers to overrun the area, thus creating the potential to cause stress to the natural environment.
- Overfishing: Artificial reefs can become hotspots for fishing, which may attract commercial or recreational fishers. Ensure proper legal boundaries are established to avoid exploitation of fish populations.
*More quantitative data coming soon!
The total costs associated with implementing an artificial reef vary greatly depending on location, scale, materials used, depth of project, and restoration goals. However, in one systematic review paper, it was shown that the median cost for artificial reef projects came out to be about 3,300,000 +/- 44,000,000 US$(2010)/ha (n=10, median +/- SD)
| Factor |
Estimated Value |
| Establishment Cost |
High. Artificial reefs are large, complex projects that involve a variety of experts. Establishment costs include site assessment, material, transportation, permitting, and personnel. |
| Labour Time |
High. Implementing artificial reefs is a complex process that requires a significant amount of resources such as highly skilled personnel, labour, and materials. |
| Maintenance Cost |
High. For the large-scale artificial reef project in southern california called “Wheeler North Reef”, monitoring costs are estimated to be about one million USD per year (2010) Source. |
| Benefits |
Artificial reefs have a variety of social, environmental and economic benefits. Artificial reefs promote biodiversity by supporting healthy marine life while reducing habitat loss. Additionally, these structures boost the accessibility of fish populations thus supporting local fisheries and recreational activities. Source |
| Material Cost |
High. |
1. Spiegel Grove
Spiegel Grove is an old US navy ship that was used for dock landing. After the use of the ship during the Cold War, it was intentionally sunk off the coast of Florida near Key Largo in 2002. The motive behind sinking the ship was to create an artificial reef that would support marine life and a new diving experience. Before being sunk, the ship was cleaned to remove toxic materials. Later, in 2005, hurricane Dennis flipped the ship to its intended position. Over the years, marine flora and fauna took over and this site has become a diving site for snorkelers. It took about three years for this artificial reef to mimic local natural reefs in the area. One major setback that delayed the sinking date and cost a lot was the need to completely clean the ship from PCB. Regular maintenance and observation is carried out to ensure long term viability.
2. Narrowneck Reef
The Narrowneck reef is an artificial reef located on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. THis artificial reef was part of a long term coastal management solution. The main objective of this project was to help protect the Gold Coast beaches from erosion by mitigating wave energy offshore. Secondly, surf quality improved as the reef improved the shape and frequency of waves. This artificial reef is composed of Geo-textile bags. Overall, the reef proved to be more resilient to storms and bad weather. Additionally, because the reef was able to reduce wave energy, the beach widened over time. While the main goal of this reef was not to increase marine life biodiversity, this happened naturally, as the reef structure was an ideal substrate for fauna and flora to flourish. With that said, the softer materials of geo textiles can be easily damaged by other vessels, which in return reduced its ability to preserve the shoreline. Thus leading to a refurbishing project in 2017. Overall, this project is seen as a success in aiding coastal protection.
