Study says man-made reefs don't impact negatively on natural ones

By Susan Cocking McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) The Mercury News
2 Aug 06

MIAMI - For decades, fisheries scientists and managers have debated
the pros and cons of deploying artificial reefs, the major issue
being whether man-made underwater structures draw fish away from
natural coral reef habitats.

A recent study by researchers at Nova Southeastern University
Oceanographic Center shows the answer is no - at least if the man-
made structures are ships.

Said Spieler: "If you anticipate a difference between ships and
natural reefs, you'd see it there."

There was a difference, but it was in the species of fish - not the
numbers. Arena and his colleagues found fish thriving on both kinds
of reefs.

But there were species inhabiting artificial reefs that were not
only absent from adjacent natural structures but weren't found
anywhere else in Broward County. Some of those included blackfin
snapper, snowy grouper and amberjack - mostly juveniles.

Theorizing that shipwrecks might serve as nurseries for some
species, rather than attractants for mature fish, the scientists
studied a relatively new wreck for two years.

They found it was dominated by young fish, with few adults. [Full article]