Florida's Tire Reef: 70's artificial reef proves to be a very real failure

Artificial reefs serve as a possible remedy for natural coral reefs that have been damaged either by pollution, temperature (in the form of coral bleaching), or too much manhandling from snorkelers and divers, just to name a few. They can provide new habitats which can increase the populations of fish, from local reef fish to larger pelagics, and they can take some of the pressure off of a reef enhancing the reef's ability to rejuvenate.

Scientists, conservation organizations, and groups invested in tourism are looking for new methods and materials for establishing artificial reefs. Two of the most common artificial reef formations are sunken wrecks and concrete structures, sometimes referred to as "reef balls." Wrecks have been around since man has sailed the seas and there are many which serve as unwitting artificial reefs. But today, we find organizations that take decommissioned vessels, clean them of any potential pollutants and deliberately sink them. These wrecks could last from 50 to 100 years or more and in that time, a substantial reef structure can form - one that could possibly outlive its original foundation.

Reef balls, basically made of concrete and other ground up substrate that can provide a firm base for coral growth, are perhaps less mysterious than sunken wrecks and a bit more plain-looking. However, they can provide a very natural-like foundation for a coral reef and, given time, they can look for all to see, including man and animal, like any other natural reef given enough time for coral and sea grasses to take hold.

There have been other candidates for artificial reefs. Along the California and Gulf coasts, retired oil rigs are being debated as potential artificial reefs when the upper superstructure is removed to just far enough below the surface so as not to pose a shipping hazard. Other structures have become artificial reefs sometimes by accident. In San Diego, California, the NOSC (National Oceans System Center) closed down a research tower situated about a mile offshore, in the late 80s, and was preparing to turn it over to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Unfortunately, before Scripps could take possession, heavy storms came in and knocked it over: a loss to Scripps but a gain for local mussels, anemones and a wide variety of local fish - not to mention local scuba divers who now had a new underwater attraction to break up the wide, sandy vista of San Diego's Mission Bay.

But not all artificial reefs have been successful, regardless of the best of intentions and considerable thought put into the design. Not everything that mankind makes can become a suitable foundation for a reef. Case in point, the disastrous Osborne Reef off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

In the early 70s, Broward Artificial Reefs, Inc. proposed an extensive artificial reef consisting of discarded tires. The supposed benefits would be the elimination of unsightly, old worn tires and the chance to entice more game fish for recreational fishing. The project was endorsed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, with the aid of many private, commercial and even naval vessels, the Broward County government deposited over two million tires, bound together with steel clips, cables, or nylon rope, across 36 acres. A new artificial reef seemed to be on its way.

But it was not to be. The securing cables, clips and ropes corroded and the lightweight tires were now on the move. Pushed around by currents and storms, the tires smashed into living corals as they spread out like an ever-increasing steamroller. After one particular storm, thousands of tires piled up against a reef, while others made their way to local beaches.

Even if the tires had managed to stay together, it turns out that they were not a good platform for reef growth due to their flexibility and the fact that, as the rubber breaks down from long exposure to sunlight and seawater, several low-level toxins are given off which have the potential to stunt the growth of sealife.
"The really good idea was to provide habitat for marine critters so we could double or triple marine life in the area. It just didn't work that way," said Ray McAllister, a professor of ocean engineering at Florida Atlantic University who was instrumental in organizing the project. "I look back now and see it was a bad idea."

Reef Rescue videotaped the condition of the tire reef in 2010:


From time to time efforts have been made to salvage the tires. State campaigns have been put in play, often supported by the military (Navy divers have used the cleanup as part of their training), but the cost is enormous and so progress has been in fits and starts. The military has scaled back their involvement as their resources are being taxed by two wars and looming budget cuts. To date, around 73,000 tires have been recovered - a considerable number, but with the original number totaling over 2 million, there is a long ways to go.
"We've literally dumped millions of tires in our oceans," said Jack Sobel, director of strategic conservation and a marine scientist for the Ocean Conservancy scientist, when speaking about the concept of tire reefs on a worldwide scale. "I believe that people who were behind the artificial tire reef promotions actually were well-intentioned and thought they were doing the right thing. In hindsight, we now realize that we made a mistake."

We are now getting to a point with the condition of the oceans and marine ecosystems where there is less tolerance for "experiments" and a greater need for solutions for which we are much more certain about the outcome. Unfortunately, our actions that adversely impact the marine environments are bad enough; we can't afford to have our solutions simply add to the problem.

Read more about the history of Osborne Reef.
Read more about the reef in 2007 in USA Today.
Read more about cleanup efforts in 2010 in Reef Rescue.

Pacific Island Conservation: 3 steps in the right direction

Three interesting and related news tidbits from Seaweb.org, all having to do with recognizing and acting on conservation issues in Pacific Island regions:

Indonesia will host a World Ocean Conference next month that will include delegates from several Asia Pacific regions, from the Philippines to Papua New Guinea. It is expected that there will be joint agreements on addressing the issues of climate change on the oceans in addition to actions to preserve fisheries (particularly for some of the smaller islands) and to protect coral reef environments (which support both fisheries and tourism, not to mention being a physical buffer to adverse ocean weather/wave conditions).

To the tune of $20 million USD, Australia will fund the Pacific Climate Change Science Program, designed to work with Pacific Island nations to track and analyze the effects of climate change including temperature increases, acidification, and rises sea-level. "Climate change has the potential to affect some of the poorest and most vulnerable nations with challenges including sea level rise, more intense storms and floods, water shortages, and the resulting impacts on water and food security," said AU Senator Penny Wong.

As part of a Japan-Pacific Islands Forum Summit Meeting scheduled for May, Japan and 16 other Pacific Island countries and territories plan to join forces to combat issues such as climate change, poor sanitation, pollution and declining biodiversity. Japan will provide environmental technology assistance to countries and territories to support agriculture and fisheries, address the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and develop tsunami warning systems.

It's great to see countries of all sizes and economic persuasions come together to take proactive steps that will help the long-term preservation of their ocean environments and their tourism and fishing-dependent economies. Some of the other industrialized nations should take note.

Palau's Shark/Fishing Legislation: a reputation for conservation at risk

Palau has been a favorite dive tourist destination for many years because of its wonderful reefs and bountiful fishlife. And the island has, in the past, taken active steps to protect its shark populations with aggressive action against illegal shark finning operations. All of these efforts have contributed to the island's tourist economy and sound conservation policy.

But that all could potentially be undone with recent legislation that was introduced to both allow for commercial shark fishing and allow for the use of purse seining - a method that brings in a large amount of by-catch. Palau commercial fishing interests have been working with Philippine fishing groups and the combined influence on Palau legislators has produced SB8-44 (which drops the ban on shark fishing) and SB8-50 (which drops an export tax on fish caught by purse seining).

According to FinsMagazine, the collective result of the laws would be:

• To permit and encourage the killing of sharks in Palau’s waters
• To promote shark finning
• To promote fishing methods that according to Monterey Bay Aquarium “result in large amounts of unintended catch” including sharks, dolphins, turtles, rays and juveniles:
  http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_gear.aspx
• To exempt fishing companies from any export taxes on fish taken from Palau’s waters
• To make it practically impossible for Palau’s law enforcement personnel to successfully prosecute alleged violators in the courts
• To risk destroying Palau’s sustainable tourism industry
• To risk destroying Palau’s marine resources through unsustainable practices
• To gamble on all of the above for no apparent gain to Palau or Palauans.

This issue has made the rounds of several shark blogs recently, but opinions from everyone - from divers to land-bound ocean advocates - are needed to remind the Palau government that the negative impact on tourism and the island's marine ecology will ultimately outweigh the short-term gains in a working relationship with Philippine commercial fisheries.

Email the Palau Chamber of Commerce (pcoc@palaunet.com) and Belau Tourism Association (bta@palaunet.com) and the government tourism office Palau Visitors Authority (pva@visit-palau.com) .

Coral Reefs: usage zones to be set up in Nusa Pineda

Always nice to hear about measures being taken to protect coral reefs. Some people feel we have bigger fish to fry when it comes to marine issues, but coral reefs are extremely important to the health of the entire oceanic ecosystem. Just because you may not have coral reefs in your backyard, doesn't mean they have less impact.

The Coral Reef Alliance reported that in Nusa Pineda, near Bali, steps are being taken to establish various coral reef zones that will determine their use for activities like fishing and diving or snorkeling. It was recognized that the health of the reef impacts its value as a tourist destination. And the dollars brought in by tourism can offset or compensate loses in fishing or other aquatic farming activities.

Marthen Welly of The Nature Conservancy-Coral Triangle Center explained that what was proposed was three zones, namely the central, the utilization and the marine tourism zones, in the marine conservation area plan.

The central zone will cover areas that have the most breathtaking underwater view and are often visited by the world-famous Mola-mola fish and other types of marine life, including the manta ray and sperm whale. The utilization zone comprises offshore areas that can be utilized for seaweed farming and fishing; while the marine tourism zone, which also includes the central zone, can be used for water sports activities.

“Separating the zones is important because the activities in the islets are not well-managed now. People can plant seaweed anywhere, or fish in the snorkeling and diving spots,” Marthen said.

Balancing the interests of local fishermen or farmers with the economic benefits of tourism is an important goal for many tropical reef locales. Let's hope that was has been proposed for Nusa Pineda is successful and acts as an example to others. (Read article from The Jakarta Post.)

Microdocs: Learn coral ecology quick and easy

For those of you (or your friends) seeking a good overview of information on coral reefs, but are plagued with a busy schedule or a short attention span, visit Microdocs.com. This is a site put together under the direction of Dr. Steve Palumbi, Director of the Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University in California.

The site contains a wide variety of short Flash videos - all very succinct and visually interesting. From the Bahamas to Palau, from the Turks to Micronesia, the videos discuss reef ecology, the intricate relationship between it inhabitants, what is impacting the reef, and solutions for future sustainability.

Remember, reef environments make up only 5% on the ocean's real estate but are home to 25% of all sealife. Even if you don't live in a tropical region, the health of our tropical reefs can have a direct impact on all of our lives. Microdocs - check it out.

Coral Reef Alliance: video of declining reef habitat at Akumal

Kudos to the Coral Reef Alliance for posting a great video by Drew Wohl that highlights how coral reefs are impacted by man-made development. At Akumal, at the Yucatan Peninsula, expanding development is adversely affecting turtle breeding grounds and affecting the overall health of the reef due to sewage (whether treated or not) that causes an increase in algae and bacteria growth.



This is not a unique phenomenon. Supposedly processed sewage disposed at sea has been shown to have detrimental effects worldwide - from California to the Caribbean. The video the Coral Alliance posted is not all gloom and doom. It shows the benefits of marine protected areas, such as can be found in Cozumel, and how they can protect the health of the reef and, in so doing, support the tourist trade in a more environmentally sensible fashion.

Coral Reefs: important status report

The Coral Reef Alliance, an international organization dedicated to coral reef conservation, is another good group worth looking into. They were participants in the recent International Coral Reef Symposium and are promoting the final report issued by NOAA with the formidable title of The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008. The 569-page report covers all the issues regarding our Pacific and Atlantic reefs but there are highlights or select chapters you can download and read. Here are a couple of interesting points about coral reefs:

• Approximately half of the coral reef ecosystems covered in the report are considered to be in 'poor' or 'fair' condition, having declined over time due to natural and man-made causes.
• Twenty-five percent of all marine species live and grow on coral reefs, including almost half of the fish caught by the commercial fishing industry.
• Serving as natural wave barriers, healthy coral reefs protect coastal communities from damaging storms and tsunamis.
• Considered more biologically diverse than rain forests, coral reefs have already provided the raw materials for lifesaving medical treatments like the HIV drug AZT.

If you're a traveling scuba diver, then you know how important coral reefs are to the local fishermen and tourism trade, let alone the health of the overall marine ecosystem. But if you're land-locked in the middle of Kansas, don't think that you don't have an impact. Pollution and global warming are affecting reefs thousands of miles away. And with the loss of these reefs, come changes in the delicate chemical and moisture exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere, causing changes in temperatures, affecting currents and winds, and so on . . . right back to climate change issues. It's all part of the puzzle.