Comparisons of Three Manufactured Artificial Reef Units in Onslow Bay, North Carolina

Abstract

Three types of benthic artificial reef units were tested by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Artificial Reef Program: steel cubes, fiberglass‐covered plastic domes, and concrete pipes. Evaluations were conducted in 1990 and 1991 at two sites in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. Reef materials were compared at the deep site (≥15 m) by quantifying stability, durability, target fish attraction, and cost per unit surface area. Assessment at the shallow site (<15 m) included only stability, durability, and cost per unit surface area. Cubes and domes were stable in shallow (<15 m) waters. Pipes and domes were stable and cubes were unstable in deep waters (≥15 m). Pipes were evaluated only at the deep site, The only structural damage observed was to two domes which were crushed during deployment. Acceptable postdeployment durability was observed for all three materials through 2 years of monitoring. Relative abundance and species richness for target fishes were assessed at the deep site and were similar for the three materials tested. Over a 2‐year period, target fishes were visually censused 125 times on the three materials, and 13 target species or groups of target fishes were observed. The only significant difference in relative abundance between materials was for gag Mycteroperca microlepis at pipes versus domes (P = 0.0001) and at pipes versus cubes (P = 0.0087). A significant decline in relative abundance of black sea bass Centropristis striata between years at pipes (P = 0.023) probably resulted from high fishing mortality. Cost per unit surface area was compared among the three materials. Pipes cost US$15.97/m2; cubes, $32.07/m2; and domes, $30.13/m2. These prices included delivery to Morehead City, North Carolina, and all assembly and deployment costs. Pipes and domes were deemed acceptable materials based on target fish attraction, stability, and durability. Cubes were unacceptable as tested, because of stability problems in deep water. Pipes were recommended for construction of low profile benthic artificial reefs off North Carolina.

Effects of habitat complexity on Caribbean marine fish assemblages

“…Our results have some obvious applications, as the building of artificial reefs is a common fisheries management tactic used to increase fisheries production in most parts of the world in both freshwater and marine environments (Chou 1988, Gregg 1995, Minton & Heath 1998, Sinis et al 2000, Freitas & Petere 2001, Lok et al 2002. A range of potential management uses for artificial reefs have been developed since their first documented accounts in Japan in the late 1700s (Meier et al 1989).…”

Density Responses of Subarctic Coastal Marine Fish and Crabs to Artificial Reefs

“…To date, most artificial reef studies have merely examined species densities within the immediate vicinity of reefs (e.g., Gascon and Miller 1981;Gregg 1995;Herrera et al 2002). Artificial or natural reefs will almost certainly exhibit a scale of effect, which is the distance from a reef beyond which there is no significant benefit or detriment derived from the reef's presence.…”

Influences of Artificial Reefs on Juvenile Red Snapper along the Mississippi Gulf Coast

“…Artificial reefs have previously been studied to determine structural characteristics and placement strategies that maximize fisheries benefits (Gregg 1995;Herrera et al 2002;Strelcheck et al 2005), but few studies have specifically examined the importance of reef spacing and placement for Red Snapper Shipley and Cowan 2011). The present study's focus on reef spacing effects on juvenile Red Snapper is particularly important because recruitment variability and yearclass strength of Red Snapper are most likely determined during early life stages (Geary et al 2007).…”

“…Because a large number of structural possibilities exist in designing an artificial reef program, research that examines different artificial reef patterns, orientations, and structural characteristics and how these factors may influence each other is necessary to elicit the best results for a given reef program (Gregg 1995). Various studies have examined how reef material, complexity, depth, isolation, density, height, and horizontal extension relate to fish abundance and artificial reef success (Bohnsack and Sutherland 1985;Gregg 1995;Herrera et al 2002;Strelcheck et al 2005).…”

“…Various studies have examined how reef material, complexity, depth, isolation, density, height, and horizontal extension relate to fish abundance and artificial reef success (Bohnsack and Sutherland 1985;Gregg 1995;Herrera et al 2002;Strelcheck et al 2005). Spacing among elements of 1 2 BRANDT AND JACKSON individual reefs may be a particularly important consideration for artificial reef managers (Jordan et al 2005).…”