Artificial Reefs in European Seas

PDF | Artificial reefs in Europe have been developed over the last 40 yrs. Most of these reefs have been placed in the Mediterranean Sea, but.
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The second step is to obtain permission from all the Authorities whose competence relates to the management of the sea, such as the Archaeological Authority, whose opinion is crucial in Greece, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment and the Hydrographic National Authority.

Once the above authorizations have been obtained, four additional studies are required before the deployment of the artificial reef is permitted: It includes oceanographic investigations, investigations of the fish assemblage both inside the reef and in the surrounding areas, studies on the colonization of the structures by benthic organisms, and monitoring of the catches at the nearest fishing ports.

Mixed modules, consisting of concrete cubic blocks provided with holes and deployed one by one on the seabed or assembled in pyramids were the commonest units. Production modules, such as bulky cement-bricks on a concrete base, and concrete pipes assembled in pyramids were also employed Figs. Six new sites have been proposed and it is likely that new locations will be added in the next few years. All the artificial reefs deployed in the past have been completely financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, while the feasibility studies to identify the new locations were funded by the local Prefectures.

Most of them are medium- or large-scale reefs, while only a few are small-scale experimental reefs used for research. Fisheries management is the main purpose for artificial reef construction which is regarded as a means for protecting the coastal nursery areas or other sensitive habitats e. No national artificial reef program exists. A few years ago the construction of artificial reefs was devolved to the Regional Authorities and may be included in the annual or multi-year Regional Plans for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Bureaucratic procedures and regulations can vary from one region to another, but common restrictions exist regarding the materials which may be used in order to prevent the dumping of waste materials and the release of contaminating substances. Most artificial reefs have been constructed with the financial help of the EC. When the reef is constructed by private associations they have to submit the project to the Regional Authority for permission and have to lease an area of the seabed for the purpose.

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Multi-year monitoring programmes are usually carried out before and after the reef deployment to assess the effects of the structures on the environment and fishery resources. The investigations conducted after the placement of the reef study the stability of the structures, the natural soft-bottom benthic communities inside and outside the reef, the benthic community settled on the hard substrates, the finfish assemblage inside and outside the reef, and the fishing yields.

Malta - Malta has occasionally, since the late s, deployed ships for recreational diving and tourism. The possible construction of an inert-waste reef was studied in and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority MEPA undertook a pilot project in It consisted of the placement of four artificial reefs off Balluta Bay Fig.

The aim was to assess the environmental impacts, to compare suitability and time of colonization of different substrates by marine flora and fauna, and to evaluate the stability of the reef over time BORG et al. Artificial reef deployment in Malta is regulated by the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations published in by the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment. These Regulations describe the overall bureaucratic procedures and environmental studies required for the installation of any man-made structure on land or at sea within the coastal zone, artificial reefs included.

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A number of procedures have to be followed in the preparation of the full environmental impact assessment, such as: A series of other steps e. A limited environmental impact assessment is quite similar but more limited and aims at appropriately identifying, describing and assessing, in the light of each individual proposal, the direct and indirect effects produced on the living and non-living components of the environment. Monaco - Since a cooperative program involving governmental and civic interests has considered artificial reefs as a tool for the management of coastal resources.

All artificial reefs have been deployed in marine protected areas established along the Monaco shoreline Fig. Afterwards, stable habitats were employed. Another artificial reef was deployed in inside the Coral Reserve and was established to protect the coral slope Corallium rubrum. The goal of the reef, made of artificial caves each with a weight of 4 t. A pyramid weighing 1. Spain - Artificial reef deployment in Spain started in , when the first legal and policy regulation on this issue was elaborated, even though no public funding was allocated for reef construction REVENGA et al.

When Spain entered the European Community , public interest in artificial reefs increased. As from the end of the s the Spanish Government has promoted a policy of using artificial reefs as tools for fishery management and their deployment has been financed by public funds from the EC and from national and regional Spanish budgets. Further, artificial reefs are commonly mentioned in Spanish fishery laws. Besides analysing the different categories of artificial reefs employed in Spain and their environmental effects, these documents establish the methodology for the installation of the reefs and the administrative procedure required for obtaining the authorization for their placement at sea.

Moreover, they give advice on the post-placement monitoring programs to be adopted. Being constructed with public funds, artificial reefs are part of the public domain and, hence, are not subject to exclusive exploitation rights and no rules are usually applied for their management, although regulations regarding special uses can be established in some areas. Only one private project for recreational purposes, consisting of the sunken ship "Boreas", exists in Catalonia NE Spain.

The legal procedures require an overall study on the environmental features of the site, habitats, resources and their use, existing infrastructures, and socio-economic aspects. This study has to be associated with a technical project and both of them have to be approved by the respective governmental departments and public opinion.

A 5-yr monitoring program has to be undertaken after the deployment of the reef. More than artificial reefs have, to date, been deployed along the Spanish coasts. Most of them are located in the Mediterranean Fig. The main goals of their deployment are: Two types of artificial reef, protection reefs and production reefs, are used.

The former seek to protect fishery resources, reduce conflicts between users, preserve ecosystems and natural habitats important for fisheries, and protect human infrastructures. The latter are deployed for increasing fish stocks and exploitable biomass by providing shelter and food, attracting marine organisms, and spatially redistributing the fish populations.

Three types of modules are usually employed: The protection modules are concrete units heavy enough to impede illegal trawling and often provided with iron beams to entangle the nets; the production modules are bigger and have holes of different shapes and sizes to provide shelter for marine organisms, while the mixed modules combine the characteristics of the other two. Denmark - Two artificial reefs were deployed from to along the Danish coasts. In the Danish Forest and Nature Agency Danish Ministry of the Environment constructed the Laeso Trindel artificial reef Kattegat in order to restore and maintain the local cavernous boulder reef habitat, a site of importance to the EU community and designated as a Natura Site in accordance with the EU Habitats Directive.

The project was co-financed by the EC and consisted of the immersion of around 60, m 3 of boulders of various sizes and weights t. Another reef for research on hard substrates as a habitat for algal growth in relation to nutrient concentration is under consideration for the Limfjord western coast. The Ministry of Transport is the competent authority for artificial reef deployment in Denmark. No specific legislation exists but the Act for the Marine Environment covers authorizations for offshore constructions in the marine environment.

An Environmental Impact Assessment is required as part of the construction phase.


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The Netherlands - The first hypothesis regarding artificial reef deployment in the Netherlands arose in , when the Dutch Working Group on Alternative Materials in Aquatic Engineering suggested the placement of an artificial reef off the Dutch coast. This idea was incorporated by the North Sea Directorate of Rijkswaterstaat in a management policy plan of and later accepted by the Dutch Government. As a result, a field experiment was set up. The reef was deployed in offshore of Noordwijk after a baseline assessment of the seabed morphology and granulometry, benthic communities and fish fauna.

It consisted of four oval, t mounds of basalt rock, each having a diameter of about 12 m and height of 1. A new artificial reef for recreational diving is under consideration. A licence for the placing of any kind of structure or material in the sea artificial reefs included is required in the Netherlands. This licence establishes severe restrictions regarding the materials to be used, as in the Netherlands it is strictly forbidden to dump chemical wastes in the sea.

Norway - Artificial reef technology in Norway is very recent and still in an experimental phase. A first small artificial reef was deployed in in Nordfjorden southern coast of Norway , with the aim of determining the effects on flora and fauna, especially fish Fig. The reef consisted of two "Rundle reef" units each made of a central concrete cylinder, which was filled with stone to increase its weight and stability, provided with 14 vertical rows of plastic pipes radiating horizontally outwards.

Each reef unit had an overall surface area of m 2 and weighed 9 t Fig.

Artificial Reefs in European Seas

Two other reefs, made of concrete walls and pyramids provided with holes, were placed off the Lofoten Islands in for fish attraction Fig. The most recent artificial reef was constructed in off Hammerfest northern coast , using Rundle reefs. Portugal - Although artificial reef deployment started later than in other European countries, Portugal is now on the way to becoming one of the most important users of this technology. Trials on artificial reefs started in with the immersion of car bodies, tyres and wooden boats to enhance the fishery harvest off the island of Madeira Fig.

Following these trials, a programme was initiated to deploy reef modules. However, the most consistent development has occurred off the Algarve coast southern Portugal from onwards Fig. The aims were to assess the environmental impact and fishing yields as well as the usefulness of artificial reefs as an instrument for managing fish stocks and increasing coastal resources. Based on the results of these experiments, artificial reefs were recognised as a tool for the integrated management of coastal areas enhancement of marine living organisms, improvement of fishing yields, management of coastal fisheries, habitat mitigation, etc.

Six new larger artificial reefs were deployed in the same area between and , another having being scheduled for Each reef consists of at least 2, small-sized protection modules and 36 large-sized exploitation units Figs 2 and 3. Overall, the artificial reef complex will consist of more than 21, modules, occupying in a discontinuous way a total area of 43 km 2 with an estimated area of influence of around 70 km 2.

It will likely represent the largest reef system in Europe. Currently there is also one private initiative related to the diving industry going through the licensing process. Each project goes through three phases: Site selection takes various aspects, such as the following, into account: Anyone may promote the deployment of an artificial reef, but the project has to be submitted for a process of evaluation involving a number of national and local authorities, users' associations, NGOs related to environmental issues, and anybody else who might also be entitled to express their opinion.

United Kingdom - Six artificial reefs have been constructed along the British coasts since for research on the effects of artificial structures on marine living organisms e.

Current issues relating to artificial reefs in European seas

Most of them are located off the coasts of England Fig. Different types of materials and modules have been employed Fig. The first reef, made of natural rocks, was deployed off Torness south-eastern Scottish coast in to enhance living marine resources. It was followed by the Poole Bay artificial reef central-southern coast of England , constructed in with experimental coal-ash blocks Fig. The construction of the Loch Linne reef started in and was completed in No national or regional plans for artificial reef deployment exist in the UK. Procedures are established by the local governments of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but, in general, all artificial reefs have to be licensed and the OSPAR guidelines have to be followed.

Funds may be provided by anyone the promoter can persuade to support the project. The Baltic Sea is subjected to progressive degradation mainly due to the high anthropogenic pressure associated with the particular environmental features of the area. Sewage discharges, which are generally untreated or partially treated, oil spills and accidents involving tankers, as well as fish farms, cause pollution and eutrophication leading to a deterioration of water quality and an alteration of the geographical distribution of zooplankton, benthos and finfish.

Big Sea Bass at Offshore Reefs - Trolling with lures - Kayak Fishing - 4K 50fps

Within this context the deployment of artificial reefs has been planned mainly as a tool for enhancing natural self-purification processes through the proliferation of sessile organisms, especially filter- and suspension-feeders. Germany - Two artificial reefs have been constructed since , one off Kiel and the other off Nienhagen Fig. The latter is the only reef deployed in the Baltic Sea for finfish and fishery enhancement. It is a large scale reef, placed in , in the Nienhagen fishery protection zone with the aim of creating suitable habitats for juvenile fish and developing, in addition to conventional management measures e.

Different types of concrete modules were employed: A monitoring program was carried out over 4 yrs. The results indicated that artificial reefs could offer future opportunities for compensatory and replacement measures to make up for the loss of habitat for underwater flora and fauna caused by human activities. The National Government is the competent authority for artificial reef deployment in Germany. Impact assessments are required within legally protected areas, according to EU legislation Natura, Gulf of Finland - Some pilot artificial reefs aimed at evaluating the potential contribution of these structures to the cleaning-up of the Gulf by developing additional filter-feeder communities were constructed within the framework of a co-operative agreement between Finnish and Russian research groups.

Separate different tags with a comma. To include a comma in your tag, surround the tag with double quotes. Skip to content Skip to search. Published Dordrecht ; Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, c Language English View all editions Prev Next edition 2 of 2. Other Authors Jensen, Antony. Physical Description xii, p.

Artificial Reefs in European Seas - Google Книги

Contents Machine derived contents note: Artificial Reefs in the Adriatic Sea; G. Artificial Reefs in Sicily: Artificial Reefs in North West Sicily: Comparisons and conclusions; G. The Loano Artificial Reef; G. Artificial Reefs in the Principality of Monaco: Protection and enhancement of coastal zones; D. Artificial Reefs in France: Artificial Reefs in Spain: Artificial Reef Programme in the Balearic Islands: Western Mediterranean Sea; I. Artificial Reefs of the Canary Islands; R. Portuguese Artificial Reefs; C.

Rigs to Reefs in the North Sea; G. Principals, Criteria and Study Methods; A. Investing in Artificial Reefs; D.