Coral reef rehabilitation following Hurricane Irma using nano-engineered artificial reefs in Sint Maarten.

ABSTRACT: Artificial reefs are being increasingly deployed as a coral reef restoration strategy. Additional reef habitats made from conventional substrates (e.g., metal, concrete, etc.) have had limited success in addressing conservation objectives on degraded coral reefs due to structure size and lack of standardized monitoring, and inability to enhance select ecological, and species variables. Technological advances and new restoration methods must be quickly tested and applied on a large scale to curb further deterioration of coral reefs. Here, we present the results of the first deployment of Oceanite artificial reefs (ARs). We compare the composition of the benthic community and associated fish assemblages on Oceanite ARs 14 months after deployment in a marine protected area (MPA)

SUBMITTER: Higgins E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11660859 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature