An ecosystem ecology perspective on artificial reef production

Abstract

1. Artificial reefs are used around the world for many purposes, including widespread deployment to increase fishery yields. These reefs are well-studied from a direct fisheries-based perspective, drawing largely on traditional theory and methodological approaches from population and community ecology. 2. Here we provide an alternative perspective using basic tenets of ecosystem ecology. We focus largely on primary production, as this ecosystem process necessarily constrains the secondary production of fish and invertebrates. 3. We use this ecosystem ecology viewpoint to examine the long-standing attraction/ production question-do artificial reefs support 'new' fish production or simply attract individuals from other habitats? Central to this discussion is identifying ecological thresholds and self-reinforcing feedbacks. For example, biological or physical processes may facilitate reaching nutrient supply thresholds where fundamental ecological dynamics are shifted, such as enhanced seagrass allocation of resources to above-ground plant structures following aggregation of fish around reefs. 4. Synthesis and applications. We propose that the scope for enhanced primary productivity (or other accelerated ecosystem processes) is an under-utilized guideline that can be used to prioritize artificial reef deployment as part of broader coastal management programmes. Such an ecosystem ecology perspective may provide new insights into the ecological role of artificial reefs and guide the optimization of their deployment and management.

Trophic interactions of reef-associated predatory fishes (Hexagrammos otakii and Sebastes schlegelii) in natural and artificial reefs along the coast of North Yellow Sea, China

“…As an important element in the restoration of the degraded coastal marine habitats, artificial reefs have been established globally to mimic the ecological functions of natural reefs (Baine, 2001;Carr and Hixon, 1997;Layman and Allgeier, 2020). It was reported that artificial reefs had a great effect on the diet of reef-associated fish species, especially on the upper trophic level species with great commercial and ecological values (Cresson et al, 2019;Lowry et al, 2014).…”

Restoring marine ecosystems: Spatial reef configuration triggers taxon‐specific responses among early colonizers

“…However, we concurrently note that we selected restoration sites based on historical knowledge and archived nautical maps to target sites where reefs were historically present but extracted entirely over the past decades. As such, this fundamental shift in reef availability likely rendered hard substrate to become a limiting factor for reef-associated fauna at the study area, implying substantial scope for productivity enhancement from reef construction over time (Folpp et al, 2020;Layman & Allgeier, 2020). We furthermore acknowledge that our results are based on a small number of reef replicates (two replicates per treatment) and that the study area of the Baltic Sea is characterized by unique conditions of low salinity levels and a multitude of anthropogenic stressors (Reusch et al, 2018).…”

Assessment of the Performance of an Artificial Reef Made of Modular Elements through Small Scale Experiments

“…From there, more or less diverse communities will be developed depending on the characteristics of the site. If hydrodynamic conditions (currents and turbulence) and water quality (temperature and nutrients) permit it, some species will find sufficient calm and safety to use the barrier as a breeding area [16]. At the same time, the benthic colonization will begin; that is, the fixation and growth of algae and other species (polychaetes, bryozoans, barnacles, hydrozoans, ascites, among others).…”

“…In this sense, the ecological performance will be evaluated specifically regarding the capacity of the artificial reef of providing habitat and producing a food chain in its surroundings. To do so, one of the main aspects to be evaluated is the artificial reef's capability of inducing or enhancing primary production [16]. In this sense, the surface roughness and presence of voids of the proposed artificial reef can be considered as having a good performance considering [45], where it is demonstrated that the incorporation of voids can lead to a larger area of the structure colonized by benthic species and that productivity rates of suspension feeders can be 2.4 times higher on artificial reefs constructed from complex blocks compared to reefs constructed from simple blocks (such as concrete cubes).…”