Video Games Saving The Oceans With Artificial Reefs?

Reef Worlds Pearl of Dubai Project - Dynamic Reef

Is the this beginning of the Smart Oceans Dynamic Reef Campaign or just an interesting marketing idea?

We would like to think there's some real vision here.

League of Legends developer Riot is celebrating Australia Day and New Zealand's Waitangi Day with a special Ocean Week promotion for players on Oceanic servers.

From the week commencing January 23, up to and including January 30, players will be able to play the game to unlock what Riot is calling a 'raft of rewards', while playing with special Ocean Week characters.

And if players can collectively accrue enough points during the event, a statue of one of the game's characters will be inscribed with the Summoner Name of every contributing player and sunk off the coast of Australia (location yet to be confirmed) to become a reef home for ocean life. The character in question --either Fizz, Nami or Nautilus -- will be voted on by the players.

Complete story here. 

The Blue Solution to America’s Aging Infrastructure?

The world’s oceans are littered with abandoned man-made objects and structures that are considered “repurposed” materials and dubbed artificial reefs. Old tires, toilets, navy ships, oil platforms, retired subway cars, and airplanes, have all either intentionally or unintentionally, been converted into artificial reefs due to the indomitable nature of marine life. Which of these reefs is not like the other?

Oil platforms, because unlike the pile of old tires or deserted toilets, platforms span the entirety of the water column, from seafloor to ocean surface, and for years, as the oil companies have been drilling, pumping, and producing, ecosystems have quietly been colonizing, thriving and taking over the legs, crossbeams and joints of these massive structures.

This is what makes the Rigs to Reefs program different, no construction required- plus 50-60 years of living proof of its effectiveness functioning as an established artificial reef, making the title “Rigs to Reefs” a bit of a misnomer.

At a first glance, artificial reefs seem to be a relatively new phenomenon, but in fact, they’ve been a part of coastal marine life for hundreds of years. Whether created to protect strategic areas from hostile weather, guard against attacking enemy forces or to improve fish stocks, man has thrown all kinds of objects imaginable into the water. Some of the earliest man-made reefs were created in Japan in the 1600s to improve fish stocks.

In India, villagers create triangular concrete structures utilizing the sand from their beaches and then sink them in order to address the damage done by commercial trawling in the area. In the US, the first documented artificial reef in the United States was off South Carolina in the 1830s and was constructed using log huts. More recently, the sinking of naval vessels for artificial reefs, as part of the ‘Ships-to-Reefs’ program, has become relatively common practice and serves several purposes. It creates new ocean habitat and a tourist destination, while also relieving the Navy of outdated ships. From the 1830’s to the present, over 80% of artificial reefs in United States waters have been created using secondary use materials.

Full article here.

Scientists study coral bleaching in Hawaii

A recent statewide wave of underwater coral reef bleaching has scientists from around the world looking for ways to keep Hawaii’s reefs from dying.

Two separate teams, one from Australia and another from Massachusetts, are spending the week in Hawaii.

The first, Catlin Seaview Survey, worked with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources, the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and NOAA’s Coral Watch Program to document bleaching on several affected patch reefs in Kaneohe Bay.

The images will help establish a baseline record of the world’s coral reefs in high-resolution, 360-degree panoramic vision.

“Our photographic surveys will help scientists, policy makers and everyone interested in ocean health, see and understand the issues, like bleaching, our reefs are facing,” said survey director Richard Vevers. “By clearly monitoring change over time, our hope is this information will inform reef protection measures now and into the future.”

Complete story here.

Artificial Reefs, Underwater Structures, Design Revolution

Underwater 'habitat tourism' scale test

Artificial reefs are man-made underwater structures typically built to provide a stable habitat for marine life, but they can also provide some of the world's top diving destinations. 

 

Next generation reefs are also know as 'Habitat Tourism' sites or 'Dynamic Reefs.'

 

Because they are often made from things like scuttling old ships and other defunct structures (such as tanks or subway cars), they supply divers with an opportunity to swim with marine life and a majestic view of sunken history. 

 

Some artificial reefs are otherworldly structures built by design teams, such as the one seen here - Reef Worlds  - "The Pearl of Dubai." 

 

Resort developers around the world are just now realizing they have unused acres of waterfront spaces beyond the high tide mark where the creation of new habitat and client engagement is good for the bottom line.

 

Read more here. 

The 20.6 Million Dollar Artificial Reef Heist?

Artificial Reefs are also known as Dynamic Reefs when applied to resort development waterfronts and tourism.

At Reef Worlds we have been leading the Dynamic Reef Revolution.

BATON ROUGE — Despite opposition from the energy industry, a top business group, a recreational fishing association and the state Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, a House committee advanced legislation Monday that will sweep $20.6 million out of the Artificial Reef Development Fund.

But opponents to the move argue the fund will only have roughly $14 million in it when the administration makes its transfer, should the Legislature oblige, before the next budget takes effect July 1.

As a result, they predict Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration intends to take all of the money out of the fund, leaving it at a zero balance until it gradually builds back up.

Michael DiResto, assistant commissioner of policy and communications for the Division of Administration, said late Monday the administration is not planning to adjust the figure of $20.6 million downward and is comfortable with the legislation as passed by the House Appropriations Committee.

The reef fund contains payments made primarily by oil and gas companies that are looking to save money by “reefing” a rig, rather than the costlier alternative of pulling it inshore to have scrapped.

Several conservation groups say they also support the rigs-to-reefs program, bankrolled by the fund, because it creates sustainable underwater habitats. 

House Bill 452 by Appropriations Chairman Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, takes $519 million out of several dedicated funds like the reef fund to help balance the budget, chiefly benefitting higher education. 

The committee approved the bill by a vote of 13-10 before endorsing the $24 billion state spending plan, Fannin’s House Bill 1. 

For the remainder of the session, which ends June 6, the two bills will be closely connected in all coming budget debates. 

Complete story here.

Tanks as Reefs Tripoli?

 Artificial Reefs are also known as Dynamic Reefs when applied to resort development waterfronts and tourism.

At Reef Worlds we have been leading the Dynamic Reef Revolution.


The Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Lebanon has seen better days. Elders might recall a time when the water was clear and teeming with color and life, but for the few last years, the waters have been practically devoid of life, and scuba diving more apocalyptic than fun.

Until Dr. Michel Chalhoub, a Beirut-based engineer, secured funding to make a patch of sea off the coast of Tripoli beautiful again by sinking a huge pile of army vehicles about 12 km from the coast. Disused tanks, vans, and even a barge and crane were lowered into the water  to establish a new artificial reef that was completed in June, 2012.

Almost one year later, the American-educated Dr. Chalhoub is reluctant to say whether or not sinking the tanks and vans has made a measurable difference in Tripoli’s marine health, he told Green Prophet.

Unlike mega developers Nakheel in Dubai, who promised to build 500 artificial reefs along the Gulf Coast in order to offset the damage of their many construction projects, and Bahrain, who boasted that their artificial reef restored their waters within a fast 16 weeks, Dr. Chalhoub takes a more conservative approach to his work.

“We will be providing underwater inspection this year. We expect that it is still somewhat early to draw conclusions,” he told Green Prophet.

Complete story here.

Artificial Reefs Vision and Benefits with Reef Worlds

Our dynamic reef vision follows in the footsteps of legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright who coined the term "Organic Architecture" to describe his philosophy of design. Wright’s philosophy was “form and function are one,” focusing attention on the importance of natural and appropriate building materials, site integration, and coexistence with the environment and natural elements.

"5,000 years of design"

At Reef Worlds we have incorporated 5,000 years of human design: elements of Mayan, South East Asian and ancient civilizations – including the oceans own organic designs – all come together to create made-to-order iconic Reef World Guardians, our ten foot tall interactive statues and structures that regional wildlife will soon inhabit and incorporate.

The end result for your development is the creation of a new, fully monetized, dynamic reef environment inclusive of snorkel and diving sites branded to your development where none previously existed and the revenue numbers are compelling.

Reef Worlds design teams fuse art, marine science, and technology to enhance your clients’ underwater experience and your bottom line. Reef Worlds quickly monetize the dead space off your property’s oceanfront or design remote sites to create interactive worlds that divers, swimmers, and snorkelers will find themselves engaging with time and again.

The back-stories to your new Reef Worlds are key. Your clients will soon come to believe that this unique and fabulous undersea world off your shoreline was “discovered" – not created. Additionally at Reef Worlds we have ways of creating return experiences for time share and fractional ownership properties with your clients that will have them guessing as to the true nature of your new Reef World. Three languages are represented at each Reef World, and each world has several Rosetta stones to decipher the ultimate story here. Will the final message point to buried treasure? Or will your clients be directed to the next Reef World you build half a world away?

Engagement, discovery, and adventure await. At Reef Worlds creating lasting client relationships with your property and brand is our goal.

Benefits to Degraded Reefs and Habitat

It is no secret that coastal and reef habitats worldwide are being degraded. Reefs are dying off and marine life is on the move taking with it a billion-dollar dive tourism industry. Scientists studying Caribbean reefs say that 2012 may be the worst year ever for coral death there. Abnormally warm water since June of 2009 appears to have dealt a blow to both shallow and deep-sea corals that is likely to top the regional devastation of 2005, when 80% of corals were bleached and as many as 40% died in areas on the eastern side of the Caribbean. This is a global phenomenon.

For resort developments and the never ending battle for tourism dollars, all this means bad news. Reef Worlds has the solution.

Our benefits to degraded marine environments off your resort provide a compelling and interactive experience for divers, snorkelers, and casual swimmers. The billion-dollar dive travel industry is based on marine life; divers are leaving traditional areas, once abundant with marine life, for newer sites. With them goes your tourism dollars. Reef Worlds’ completely interactive dive sites and tailor made structure development bring back divers and snorkelers for multi-day dive adventures, while regional reef life use these carefully designed structures enhancing the man made experience with nature. If you have never had a dive program and have always wanted one, Reef Worlds can help create instant dive tourism in even the most degraded habitat or enhance sites you already have.

Additionally Reef Worlds serve as mass tourism aggregators. For government agencies and NGO's tasked with protecting A Class reefs, while at the same time managing mass tourism, Reef World sites placed away from natural reefs serve as a buffer against the damage mass tourism can bring to a natural reef system. We offer a compelling revenue based tourism alternative to sites closures, set aside areas, and reef balls

Sad News, Underwater Hotel Put On Hold

Muscat: The first underwater hotel project in the Sultanate has been put on hold, according to BIG InvestConsult AG, which represents the revolutionary Water Discus concept of underwater leisure projects developed by Poland's Deep Ocean Technologies (DOT).

Speaking to Times of Oman, Bogdan Gutkowski, president and CEO of BIG InvestConsult, said the project had been "put on hold" because the company needed to adjust its commercial-activity projections in line with the Water Discus producer's plans.
"The reason for temporarily postponing the project is that the producer of the Water Discus concept at Deep Ocean Technology is currently working on the prototype unit, which as noted on the company website, 'will be used in scientific–technical and environmental activities aimed at improving the company's principal product: an underwater and above-waterline structure designed for residential purposes and for the exploration of the marine environment,'" he wrote in an e-mail interview from Switzerland.

A recent update received from DOT via BIG Invest stated, "The prototype sub-and above-water object construction project, supported by a grant from the European Regional Development Fund, is running on schedule. Currently, research work is continuing, aiming at finalising the project's engineering requirements. The completion of this stage will enable the selected contractor to commence production. In the second quarter, we plan to announce the tender for the construction of the prototype of the sub-and above-water object for scientific purposes. The commencement of production is planned for the third or fourth quarter of 2013."

This statement has come as a shock to the building's future residents since it had been announced with much fanfare last year that a Swiss-based firm specialising in the promotion of innovative technologies would be setting up Oman's first underwater hotel — a venture that would showcase the country's spectacular and diverse aquatic wealth.

It was learnt that BIG InvestConsult was very keen to set up the first underwater hotel in Oman, but they couldn't find any co-investors who were willing to put money into the project. "That may be one of the reasons for pulling themselves out," a senior manager in the hospitality industry in Oman, said.

In 2011, BIG InvestConsult signed an agreement with a Dubai-based firm, jointly naming the company as the exclusive principal contractor for all construction work linked to its underwater leisure and related projects in the Gulf region.

"We want to expand our Gulf-based projects and that is one of the reasons we will be opening our BIG InvestConsult AG office in Dubai, at the Al Habtoor Business Tower located at Dubai Marina," Bogdan Gutkowski declared.

In line with its initial plans, the company had unveiled patent-protected designs depicting a futuristic hotel that rests on the seafloor and towers above the water surface.

Dubbed the Water Discus Hotel, the project consists of two discs: an underwater disc and an above-water disc. This combination will allow guests to admire the depths of the ocean, while making the most of the warm climate.

The two parts of the structure will be connected by five solid legs and a vertical shaft containing a lift and stairway. The size of each disc has been adjusted to local conditions.
The complex of the hotel will be surrounded by a beautifully vibrant coral reef. According to the plans, the disc, located up to 10 metres below the surface of the sea, will hold 21 hotel rooms adjacent to the underwater dive centre and bar.

Each room will be integrated with the underwater world, so residents can remain in contact with the local flora and fauna.

There are special lighting systems planned for the area around the room, and the miniature underwater vehicles, which can be operated from inside the building, will allow people to take a closer look at even the most microscopic underwater creatures, using macro photography. In the hotel, all the rooms will be sound-proof and will have curtains with different levels of transparency.

For entertainment, the disc and its adjacent satellites that will be located 5–7 metres above the water's surface will include a restaurant, spa, and special recreation area. A multifunctional lobby built inside an enormous swimming pool will display the centre of the disc. The area around the underwater part of the complex and the diving activities can be watched in real-time on screens hanging on the lobby walls.

Glass-walled tunnels
The underwater part of the complex will be connected to the satellites with awe-inspiring glass-walled tunnels cutting through a training pool for divers. Its rooftop will include seawater swimming pools that are integrated with the training pool. Finally, there will also be an exotic garden, offering a moment's rest before returning to extreme experiences.

A consulting, engineering, and brokerage firm, BIG InvestConsult's business interests span many sectors, especially oil and gas, offshore services, marine engineering, production outsourcing, renewable energy, and the promotion and sale of luxury catamarans.

Film/TV and Commercials Underwater Productions - Reef Worlds

Underwater Sets - Film/TV and Commercials

The underwater world is the least filmed and utilized on a commercial level due to the shortage of production support and underwater vision. At Reef Worlds our entire team come from creative film and television backgrounds - underwater. We build for advertising clients like BBDO who demand the unusual and technically challenging and we deliver.

We are also accomplished filmmakers and creators of some of the most memorable and cutting edge water based commercial moments filmed in the last five years.

We design, build, deploy and manage entire production sites underwater for television commercial and film. Imagine lost cites, Mayan Ruins, meticulously designed and executed sets, wild sharks, colorful tropical fish and even...mermaids. We create and shoot these worlds both during the day and night.


Leading brands like Coke, Ford, Toyota, Nike, Amazon, Starbucks and Apple benefit from eye popping underwater worlds populated with charismatic mega fauna featuring their brands. We'll take your audience on a National Geographic style underwater adventure and exploration with your brand.

It's a vision thing, some brands get it, others would rather follow the current trends. At Reef Worlds we set trends, we don't follow them.

The Commercial Market

We know today's television marketplace for commercials is battleground and true breakout commercials that ultimately go viral need to the filmed in unique locations with stunning visuals. We create those locations from scratch, designed and built to your vision and set in locked down underwater locations and populated with wildlife - or not it's up to you, but as our team would recommend - always go big.

Reef Worlds production teams enjoy access to several underwater production sites in Florida and the Bahamas at shallow depth profiles and 100 foot visibility. Along with design and build our teams can offer you the following support:

Diving Coordinators Diving Supervisors Safety Divers Construction Divers Underwater Models Underwater Doubles Marine Scientists Shark Wranglers

Underwater Camera Operators Underwater Lighting Technicians Underwater Camera Assistants Researchers Marine Coordinators Boat Skippers Marine Assistants Marine Engineers

Let us show you new worlds to film and promote your brands. We're a phone call away and ready to share in your vision.