GettingStarted
Wecanprotectnaturalreefs.Wecanbuildartificialreefs.Thesearereefsbuiltbypeople.Thesereefscanhelpindifferentways.Somekeepwavesfromwearingawaytheshoreline.Otherartificialreefsarebuilttoholdsandonbeaches.Andstillothersaremadetocreatehomesforocean wildlife.
Thisartistmakesastatuefortheunderwater museum.
Thesestatueshavebeenunderwaterforseveralyears.Coralsandalgaegrowonthem.Fishswimamong them.
Howdoyoubuildanartificialreef?Alargeobjectisplacedonthe flatseabottom.Itattractsplanktonandsmallfish.Thisbringslargerfish.Algaeandcoralsgrow.Overtime,a reef forms.
CoralsdecoratetheseMUSA statues.
RigstoReefs
Artisn’ttheonlywaytomakeareef.Oldoilrigscanbereefs,too!Theyarebuiltindeepwater.There,theydrillforoil.Whenarigisnolongerinuse,itjustsitsthere.Butnow,someareusedtomake reefs.
Thisrigmaybecomepartofanartificial reef.
Coralsgrowonanartificial reef.
Therigsarecutdownandturnedontheirsideunderwater.Theserigscansupportmarinelife.ThisprogramiscalledRigstoReefs.IntheUnitedStates,morethan500rigshavebeen reused.
