Are Artificial Reefs Good or Bad for the Environment

Image on left : HMNZS Wellington being sunk to form an artificial reef in New Zealand.

Due to the development of our coastal areas, the habitats used by fish and shellfish for nurseries, have declined dramatically. In a bid to provide other areas for the marine life to take up residence and continue to propagate, certain groups have advocated constructing artificial reefs.

When you think of a reef what do you picture? I think most of us imagine clear blue waters and strikingly coloured rock formations consisting of various kinds of coral and marine life. Natural reefs are in fact living organisms. But an artificial reef can comprise of a variety of man-made articles from concrete, old tires, to obsolete appliances and even decommissioned oil rigs.

There are two camps of thought on the subject of artificial reefs. One side of the fence argues that it is just a way of disposing of all the waste that would otherwise become landfill or become an unsightly junkyard. An attempt to appear environmentally concerned when in actuality it is a cheap method of waste disposal.

On the other side is the school of thought that using these articles that are of no further use on land), is a good way to provide a marine habitats that we destroyed. As it has been said, any marine feature, whether it is a naturally occurred rock or a man-made structure, can be called a reef.

But is that true? If a reef is a living creature, how can a man-made structure also be considered as a reef?

It is a reef in as much as it provides a base upon which certain types of marine animals can create a habitat. If this happen and enough sea creatures make it their home and choose to breed and proliferate, this will make it a more attractive destination to divers. Divers will go to artificial reefs as a place to visit and observe, thereby taking the pressure off of the other natural reefs.

There have been many arguments for and against artificial reefs, but a lot of the arguments against have been quieted through the introduction of certain environmental laws prohibiting the use of a lot of the articles which were used initially.

Therefore, dumping appliances into the ocean and calling it an artificial reef has now been ruled unlawful. To build an artificial reef, the materials need to be heavy enough (so that the ocean’s currents will not be able to relocate them). Any materials that is likely to poison the marine life and liable to rust away, is counter-productive and will incur heavy fines. Whatever materials are used for the construction of an artificial reef, whether it is concrete or purpose made units, they need to be set on a solid base, to prevent them eventually sinking into the sand.

Problems with sinking these items, have led to concerns that they may prove dangerous to divers and marine mammals. If not enough care is taken, these items can trap animals and divers. Indiscriminate dumping of goods is also a problem and may damage other natural habitats. That is why careful placement of any items, that are to be used for an artificial reef, is imperative. One of the good things about providing a man-made marine habitat, is that it will enhance the number of marine animals in the area and so become a draw and source of income through offshore fishermen and divers.