Problem
Artificial reefs
Other Names:
Transforming retired ships into artificial reefs Nature:
An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing.
Many reefs are built using objects that were built for other purposes, such as by sinking oil rigs (through the Rigs-to-Reefs program), scuttling ships, or by deploying rubble or construction debris. Other artificial reefs are purpose-built (e.g. the reef balls) from PVC or concrete. Shipwrecks may become artificial reefs when preserved on the seafloor. Regardless of construction method, artificial reefs generally provide hard surfaces where algae and invertebrates such as barnacles, corals, and oysters attach; the accumulation of attached marine life in turn provides intricate structures and food for assemblages of fish.
Though there's no research indicating the benefits of artificial reefs, they are still being practiced in modern times.
Broader Problems:
Harmful ship disposal practices Aggravates:
Unsustainable exploitation of fish resourcesMarine dumping of wastesVulnerability of marine ecosystemsErosion of marine biological diversityDestruction of marine environment by tourism Organizations:
International Coral Reef SocietySociety for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations (SCRFA)International Maritime Organization (IMO)Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF)Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN)International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)Reef-World FoundationThe Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)World Federation for Coral Reef Conservation (WFCRC) Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems Date of last update
01.09.2021 – 18:02 CEST