Tanya RibakoffB.S. Eckerd College

Reef Balls

Reef Balls

• Half circle shaped concrete balls with different size holes throughout

• Set on seafloor• Submerged at high tide, exposed at low tide• Create new artificial habitats for marine life• Require permits upon deployment

depending on location- can become property of government (limited liability)

Importance

• Increase surface area for colonization

• Firm, stable attachment for substrate

• Reduce energy demands

• Create Habitat diversity

• Increased turbulence creates feeding area

• Increase biomass for food chain

• Refuge from predators

Projects

• www.reefball.org • Reef balls in 55+ countries with

3,000 projects in the last 12 years

Including: Artifical reefs Estuary restoration Red mangrove planting Oyster reef creation Coral propagation Beach erosion prevention Memorial sites

• Size of a basketball to 6000 lbs.

• Made from concrete with a pH similar to seawater poured into different sized fiberglass molds

• Can last over 500 years

• Unique because they can be floated to site

Uses:

• Fishing• Diving• Docks• Channel markers• Snorkeling• Freshwater lakes

• Juvenile fish habitats

• Lobster habitats• Marine reserves• Hurricane

threatened areas• Live rock culture

MacDill Airforce Base Submerged Reef Ball Breakwater Project

• Locally, in 2004, Tampa Bay Watch installed 910 oyster domes, 28 tons clean washed 3” loose oyster shells, and 5,000 salt marsh grasses along 800 ft. of the SE shoreline of MacDill AFB

• Attempted to restore the wave beaten shoreline, reduce erosion, and promote new habitats

After a few weeks, 100% cover

Oyster growth protects shoreline and filters

seawater

Ethical Debate

• What will happen during hurricanes?• How will reef balls influence currents?• Are reef balls and other artificial reef

products appropriate for a public resource? Or are we polluting our oceans with landfill waste?

Referenceshttp://www.reefball.org

http://www.reefball.org/album/florida/WestCoast/pinellascounty/macdillairforcebaseproject/index.html

http://www.ecoclub.com/news/062/interview.html