Artificial coral reefs using beautiful Eco-Coral

The Eco-Coral™ advantage

Introduction.What constitutes an effective artificial coral reef?

As defined by the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency in the 2006 report “Marine and Coastal Environment” part of the Abu Dhabi Environment Initiative.

“For a structure to be given the true title “Artificial Reef” it must conform to the four following requirements:-
1. Stability,
2. Durability,
3. Compatibility
4. Function.”

“To become a productive artificial reef, a structure must also be able to provide similar attributes to that of a natural reef and this can only be achieved through appropriate design and location selection. These attributes for example should include the provision of shelter, the penetration of sunlight, adequate flow of clean water (currents), and provision of habitat for a diverse biodiversity of animal and plants that can develop into a self-sustaining ecosystem (containing various food chains and nutrient pathways).”

Let's see what kind of artificial coral reefs have been made, do they meet the criteria?

There are many forms of artificial coral reef constructed from various materials. The great majority of reefs have been constructed to aggregate fish and have generally been constructed from garbage materials.

Garbage reefs.

What a bad idea!!

This type of reef is partly functional in that it provides a habitat for some marine life but it also liberates toxins into the water.

Typical garbage used includes old refrigerators, cars, trucks, rail cars, tires, rubble and concrete blocks, and aircraft carriers!! Imagine the toxins in that vessel!!.

Millions of tires are now being removed from the ocean off Eastern USA.

More than 30 years ago, with government approval, recreational fishing groups dumped an estimated 1 million to 2 million tires off Broward County to create a huge artificial reef. On a single day in 1972, as the Goodyear blimp flew overhead, more than 100 boats headed off shore to heave tires into the water. Like similar efforts around the country, the project was intended to build structures that would attract fish by providing hiding places and vertical formations in the ocean. But few fish showed up. Worse, many tires broke free of their nylon bonds and damaged the real reefs where the fish did live. Today, the tires cover about 36 acres of ocean floor, where they continue to harm corals, sponges and other marine life.

These reefs have no value as aesthetic or attractive places for visiting divers and undersea walkers.

Concrete modules.

The modules themselves lack any natural form and are again of little value for divers and undersea visitors due to their coarse and symmetrical format, interesting features cannot be created with these.

The concrete from which they are constructed is generally not well controlled and PH is variable leading to indeterminate colonization by reef organisms.

Composite reef elements.

The third type of artificial reef is molded from composite material and delivered to the sea floor by divers who drive anchors into the bottom.
These units do not require large vessels to deploy but are diver intensive. However, although attempting an aesthetic appearance, they fail by each being identical and being deployed in geometric patterns.

Another rather strange idea of a coral reef!

The Eco-Coral™ artificial coral advantage.

Does the Eco-Coral™ system meet these criteria?

1. Stability = Yes
2. Durability = Yes, as durable as the base reef.
3. Compatibility = Yes, demonstrated in the ocean.
4. Function = Yes, provides for fish and all reef life-forms.

The Eco-Coral™ artificial coral units units are exact copies of real life corals in shape, texture and color.
They are molded using special aggregates and additives to produce a controlled cementious hollow unit. This process creates a coral with the same pH as seawater (7.7 - 8.3), which does not leach at all. Significant colonization by reef creatures occurs within a few weeks from immersion.

The Eco-Coral™ artificial coral system is unique in that it is able to use existing reefs to colonize the artificial reef units and then move them to the target site thereby providing a complete biome.
In addition they can be used in conjunction with Eco-Coral Wall to create designer artificial coral reefs. No other artificial reef system has this capability.

When deployed using the Eco-Coral™ patent deployment system, the coral units are laid in a pattern designed in our studios to follow the contours of the target seabed and to simulate the natural mix of types as found in coral reefs of the region. The result is an instant coral reef vibrant with natural color and diversity to provide enjoyment and pleasure to its inhabitants and visitors alike.
Eco-Coral™ artificial coral is specifically designed to enable coral eggsand other creatures (from spawning) to settle and attach to its surface due to the thousands of pores built in to the surface so that after 1 year the units will be completely covered with natural life. Click here to see Eco-Coral after 3 months in the sea at Capones Islands, Zambales, Philippines

All reef deployments are protected with our unique Anti-Trawling© Devices designed by our Development company Technostrat Corporation.

A unique capability of Eco-Coral™ artificial coral is its ability to be deployed and recovered again, This makes it possible to deploy the units on a natural reef and leave them for several months to be populated by marine growth. They may then be recovered and transported in tanks for deployment at the target site. Using this technique with about 10% of the total of the artificial reef modules will accelerate development.

To further enhance the attractiveness of an Eco-Coral™ artificial coral reef designs can be created as ruined undersea cities, ancient ships and artifacts, all made in the same material and all with the same pH as seawater(7.7 - 8.3) and eco safe.

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