Artificial Reefs -
Pros And Cons
Think of a
reef and you think of a natural coral stone formation with thousands
of tropical fish swimming happily around it. Florida is known
for its beautiful coral reefs, many of which date back thousands
of years. Florida is the only continental US state with coastal
coral reefs, but even Florida has supplemented the natural reefs
with artificial ones.
Artificial reefs have been around
for thousands of years. The Persians and Romans are known to
have created artificial reefs for much the same reasons that
exist today. Artificial reefs can be used to increase fish stocks
or to improve the yields of algae and other underwater plants.
Since these have applications in the medical and beauty industries,
increased production can bring great benefits.
Why Create Artificial Reefs?
Reefs are home to many living
organisms. These include corals (which help to form coral reefs),
polyps, algae, anemones, shrimp, lobsters, crabs, sponges and
fish. However, many reefs are under threat from environmental
conditions, disease and certain types of fishing. The marine
life which depends on reefs is also under threat. This is one
of the reasons to promote reef growth with the use of artificial
reefs. An artificial reef can provide food and shelter for marine
life and fish that have seen their natural habitat eroded. Artificial
reefs can increase the available spawning grounds for certain
species and they are also useful within the tourist industry,
providing alternative areas for divers to explore, and within
the fishing industry, creating new fishing grounds.
Starting An Artificial Reef
It doesn't take much to start
an artificial reef. However, it is important to select the right
location for your reef. You need to find a stable area which
will keep the reef base at the optimal level. If it sinks into
the sand, it will be useless. Materials used for creating artificial
reefs include old ships, which can double as shipwreck sites
for divers, rock, precise concrete or artificial reef modules
which have been specially designed for this purpose. Although
tires and disused appliances have also been used to create reefs
in the past, this is now quite unusual. If tires are not properly
secured they can come loose and cause a lot of damage, as happened
during a series of tropical storms. Some prefabricated reef modules
are specially designed to attract particular types of marine
life. Reefs can be made from reef balls, construction rubble,
and more.
A good artificial reef creates
a hard surface where algae, corals, barnacles and similar marine
life can attach themselves. This in turn attracts fish. Artificial
reefs can also be created to prevent coastal erosion, to enhance
an existing coastal habitat, to foster marine and coastal research,
to create a safe swimming area and to create a surfing area.
Florida has hundreds of artificial reefs, created from material
as diverse as ship steel, bridge pilings, sunken aircraft and
army tanks.
Problems With Artificial Reefs
While there's no doubt that creating artificial reefs can bring
substantial benefits, questions have been raised about whether
their creation is driven primarily by commercial rather than
environmental concerns. Many environmentalists say that creating
artificial reefs does not solve all the problems affecting marine
life. For species suffering from erosion of their habitat, these
reefs can be helpful. However, if the problem is over fishing,
then it is exacerbated by creating more fishing areas. There's
also the question of what happens to those marine environments
when the reef material degrades after a couple of decades. Many
suggest that improving research and preservation facilities is
a much better way to help marine life thrive.
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