Artificial Reef Development Research Articles

An Assessment of Atlantic Artificial Reef Development

Abstract Atlantic coast artificial reef development involves a diversity of activities. Of the 14 coastal states (plus the District of Columbia) surveyed in an assessment of Atlantic reef activities, 12 had documented records of reef development. Of those 12 jurisdictions, 9 had government-sponsored reef programs. There are 273 permitted reef sites along the entire coast, with 26 of these still waiting for deployment of reef structures. The South Atlantic region is by far the most active along the coast, with development activity declining as one moves north through the Mid-Atlantic and New England areas. Florida is the most active reef-building state (112 east coast sites) followed by North Carolina (66 sites). Together, these two states account for 65% of the total Atlantic sites. There are no government-sponsored programs in New England and virtually no artificial reef activities being conducted in this region at present. In the last 10 years, the number of new Atlantic reef sites has approximately dou...

Artificial Reef Development Along the Atlantic Coast of Guatemala

A visual census of a four year old artificial reef in the Bahia de Amatique off Guatemala's Atlantic coast indicates a substantial standing number of fishes. The fish fauna is comprised chiefly of juvenile grunts (Haemulon aurolineatum; 7.39/m2) accounting for the reef's low species diversity (H' = 0.68). A considerable portion of the assemblage is composed of commercially exploitable adults of Lutjanus griseus (0.38/m2) and Haemulon plumieri (0.03/m2). The proximate grassbeds have large populations of juveniles and small adults of all the commercially exploitable species. Further development of the reef is indicated providing the grassbed biotope remains "healthy" and fishing pressure does not become excessive.

A user‐resource planning framework for offshore recreational artificial reefs

Abstract Artificial reefs have been used extensively in coastal waters to attract and enhance recreational fishery resources. In the United States, they have been traditionally built from “materials of opportunity”; using limited budgets. This paper explores some past planning philosophies and presents a recent artificial reef deployment case that demonstrates a lack of sensitivity to local and regional recreational demand. A systems framework is developed to guide future planning efforts in artificial reef development. The framework is intended to integrate previously fragmented knowledge and to demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of artificial reef planning. Emphasis is given to advance planning, user dimensions, and the integral issue of reef access.