GettingStarted

Toprotectnaturalreefs,wecanstartbuildingnewreefs,artificialones.Artificialreefsmimic,orcopy,naturalones.But,theycanbecreatedfordifferent purposes.


Someartificialreefspreventcoastalerosion.Theyforcewavesoffshoreratherthanlandingonthecoastline.Othersaremeanttoholdsedimentonbeaches.Stillothersareahabitatforfishandotheraquatic life.


Tobuildanartificialreef,alargeobjectisinstalledinanareawheretheseabottomisflatandfeatureless.Whenoceancurrentsmeetwithanobject,anupswellingofplanktonoccurs.Smallfishcannowfeed.This,inturn,drawslargerfishtothe area.


Overmonthsandyears,algae,barnacles,andoysterscanattach.Astimepasses,acomplexanddiversecommunityofsealifebecomesconnectedtothe object.

Thesestatueshavebeen underwaterforseveralyears.Coralsand algae growonthem.Fishswimamong them.

ArtistJasondeCaires Taylorcarefullycraftsthefaceon one  oftheunderwater statues.

SeedingSolutions

Creatinganartificialreeftakestime.MUSApresidentRobertoAbrahamsaysthatoneofthegreatestchallengesincreatingtheunderwatersculptureswasusingtheright cement.


Ifthecementisn’tstrongenough,thestatuescrumbleovertime.Ifthesurfaceistooacidic,coralsandalgaecan’ttakeholdand grow.


OncetheMUSAstaffandartistsfoundtherightmix,theywereabletocreatethestatues.Then,theyhand-seededmanyofthestatues.Theyplacedyoungstaghorncoralpolypsonthesurfacetogivethegrowthaheadstart.Thechangeisslow,butmiraculous.“Theyevolveeveryday,”Abraham says.

CoralsdecoratetheseMUSA statues.

RepurposingRigs

Artisn’ttheonlywaytomakeanartificialreef.Abandonedoilrigscanalsodoubleasreefs!Oilrigsarehugestructuresbuiltindeepwater.Usually,they arebuiltonclay,mud,andsand.It’swherepeopledrillfor oil.


Whentheserigsarenolongerinuse,theRigstoReefsprogramturnsthemintodeep-seaartificialreefs.IntheUnitedStates,manyoftheGulfStatesparticipateinthisprogram.Todate,morethan500rigshavebeenconvertedtoreefs,mostlyinTexasand Louisiana.

Thisrigmayonedaybecomepartofanartificial reef.

Surroundedbyfish,thesecoralsgrowonanartificial reef. 

HelpingOutaGiant

Atypicalrigcanprovideahabitatforasmanyas14,000fish!Arigcansupportmoremarinelifethannaturalreefsdo.Thesteelisagoodsurfaceforcoralsandsponges.Redsnapper,hogfish,andbarracudasmaketherigstheir home.


Theserigsareevenhelpingtobringbackathreatenedspecies.Goliathgroupershavebeenprotectedsince1990butarestillvulnerable.Thesefishcanweighalmost363kilograms ​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​(800pounds).Inrecentyears,theyhavebeenmostabundantneardeep,artificial reefs.