1. Somewhere... Below the Sea: Artificial Reefs Explained
What Are They and Why Use Them? Artificial reefs are human-made underwater structures, deliberately placed to mimic natural reefs and enhance marine habitats that can provide shelter, promote vegetation growth, and create breeding and nursing grounds for various marine organisms. These reefs are also created to aid in coastal defence as they can dissipate hydrodynamic energy (fluid energy associated with flow, velocity and pressure) which in turn reduces the amount of erosion and wash-back caused by waves. These calmer conditions allow aquatic plants, like eelgrass, to colonise, which further helps to mitigate erosion as the plants further mitigate hydrodynamic energy and stabilise sediment to the sea floor. The picture above is an artificial reef that was implemented off Hinatuan Island, the Philippines. This project was created to help boost marine diversity, as fish numbers had dwindled due to the destruction of coral reefs by commercial fishing methods like trawli...