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| Resorts need to "care for reefs" |
Coal reefs provide a vital home for marine creatures, acting as a nursery for fish and a food resource for higher food chain predators such as sharks and whales.
Over the last 50 years 80% of the corals have been lost due mainly coastal development and pollution. They now are also threatened by invasive species, global warming and the early effects of ocean acidification — it's the perfect storm.
Resort Based Dynamic Reefs
Art and sculpture reefs are a subset of manufactured reefs, and are usually constructed with the purpose of attracting tourists and creating new habitat. For the past 50 years resort developers and management companies have abandoned everything past the high tide mark assuming, incorrectly, that reefs and regional wildlife would continue to thrive.
They have not.
The creation of resort based reefs designed for both tourism and the environment serve a dual purpose. In addition to increased marine life populations, new dive sites lead to new economic opportunities. Reefs that gain larger, healthier populations due to the placement of artificial reefs, and the addition of aesthetically interesting structures are a magnet for snorkelers, recreational scuba divers, and photographers.
For many developing coastal nations, artificial reefs provide a cheap option to attract tourists in an otherwise poor market. The placement of artificial reefs leads to a long term profit, where tourists will continue to visit, and fisheries will see increased populations and production.
If placed close to shore, in an easily accessible area, increased and easily located fish populations attract tourists interested in fishing. An increased volume of tourists attracted by the reefs will create a demand for hotels, restaurants, and other markets associated with tourism.
It is time to reconsider resort engagement with the oceans in a fundamental way with Dynamic Reefs.
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