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An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom. These reefs help control erosion, block ship passage, or improve surfing. Many reefs are built using objects intended for other purposes, including the sinking oil rigs, scuttling ships, or deploying rubble or construction debris. Other artificial reefs are purpose-built using materials such as PVC or concrete. Regardless of construction method or source material, artificial reefs generally provide hard surfaces where algae and invertebrates such as barnacles, corals, and oysters can attach. The accumulation of attached marine life in turn provides an intricate structure of food for fish assemblages. This data set is NOT a complete collection of artificial reefs on the seafloor, nor are the locations to be considered exact. The presence and location of the artificial reefs have been derived from multiple state websites. These data are intended for coastal and ocean planning. |