Artificial Reefs for Beach and Reef Restoration

Lee E. Harris, Ph.D., P.E., Assoc. Professor, FIT Department of Marine & Environmental Systems Todd Barber, Chairman, Reef Ball Foundation

Purposes for Artificial Reefs

Provide environmental enhancement Mitigate for damages to reefs
Ship groundings, dredging, burial, pollution

Restore damaged reefs

Natural events (storms, tsunamis, etc.)

Enhance eco-tourism
fishing, diving, snorkeling, surfing

Assist with shoreline stabilization

Reef Ball Units

Reef BallTM
Artificial Reef Units

Style

Width 6 feet (1.83m) 6 feet (1.83m) 5.5 feet (1.83m) 6 feet (1.83m) 4 feet (1.22m) 3 feet (0.9m) 2.5 feet (0.76m) 2 feet (0.61m) 1.5 feet (0.46m)

Height 5 feet (1.52m) 4.5 feet (1.37m) 4.3 feet (1.31m) 3.8 feet (1.22m) 2.9 feet (0.9m) 2 feet (0.61m) 1.75 feet (0.53m) 1.5 feet (0.46m) 1 foot (0.30m)

Weight 4,000-6,000 lbs (1800-2700 kg) 4,000-6,000 lbs (1800-2700 kg) 3,500-4,500 lbs (1600-2000 kg) 3000-4200 lbs (1350-1900 kg) 1500-2200 lbs (700-1000 kg) 375-750 lbs (170-340 kg) 150-200 lbs (70-90 kg) 80-130 lbs (35-60 kg) 30-45 lbs (15-20 kg)

Concrete Volume 1.3 yard (1.0 m3 ) 1.3 yard (1.0 m3 ) 0.9 yard (0.7m3 ) 0.75 yard (0.6m3 ) 0.33 yard (0.25m3 ) 0.10 yard (0.08m3 ) less than four 50 lb bags less than two 50 lb bags less than one 50 lb bag

# Holes 25-40 22-34 22-34 22-34 17-24 11-16 8-12 6-10 6-8

Goliath Ball Super Ball Ultra Ball Reef Ball Pallet Ball Bay Ball Mini-Bay Ball Lo-Pro Ball Oyster Ball

Layercakes, Sculptures, etc.

Reef Ball Fabrication

Reef Ball Unit Floating Installation

Barge Transport & Deployment

Grand Cayman Deployment

Anchoring

Artificial Reef Submerged Breakwater

Environmental Enhancement Wave Attenuation Snorkel Reef

Natural & Artificial Reefs as Breakwaters

Reef Ball Artificial Reef Breakwater

Submerged breakwater with Reef Ball artificial reef units

REEF UNITS

Induced Wave Breaking

Reef Ball Units Underwater

3-Row Reef Ball Breakwater (3 segments) in Dominican Republic

1998 2001

6 wide 4 tall 2-ton Unit

Artificial Reef Breakwater

Artificial Reef Breakwater

April 2001 After 2 months
4

After 3 years
Table 1. Changes in Shoreline and Sand Volume Calculations 1998 to 2001 Profile Line
3-Row Reef Ball Breakwater

3 April 2001 Profile

Elevation (meters)

Accretion
distance = 13m

1 13m gain in shoreline 0 February 1999 Profile -1

Shoreline Change (meters) +10 m +13 m 0m

Sand Volume Change (m3/m) +25.65 m3/m +44.25 m3/m +2.0 m3/m

West East Control

-2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Distance (meters)

Original vs. Eroded Beach Conditions

Wide beach Narrow beach

Grand Cayman 7mile Beach

October 2002 (left) February 2003(right)

Profile Line at Center Project

4 3 2 1 Elevation (feet) 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Distance (feet) 160 180 200 220 240 Nov-02 Feb-03

Accretion

Profile Line D

5-Row Reef Ball Breakwater Natural Reef

Submerged Breakwater Reef Maiden Island, Antigua

Snorkel Trail

Swim Passages

Diving Area

Swimming, Snorkeling, & Diving Trails

rd 63

Street Reef

Submerged Reef BallTM Artificial Reef Breakwater

USACE National Shoreline Erosion Control Development and Demonstration Program Section 227

32nd Street: Headland BWs

Existing Miami Hot Spot Treatments

Sunny Isles: Detached Submerged BWs

Submerged Breakwater Reef Design for 63rd Street, Miami Beach

Physical Modeling by USACE ERDC-WES Section 227 Project

Reef Ball Units on Articulated Mat for Miami Beach USACE Sec. 227 Submerged Breakwater Design

Propagated Coral Transplants on Reef Ball Units

Coral Propagation & Transplanting

Curacao Coral Rescue Project

Aquaculture Raised Coral Transplants Mustique Project

Planting coral plugs

7-months Progression in Antigua

5, 18, and 28-month Growth Progression in Curacao

Indonesia 5-year Growth

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