Offshore Bar, EFH
Essential Fish Habitat, as well as a breakwater is the importance of re-establishing an “offshore bar”. This video from September 2015 will give you an idea of the type of marine life attracted to the structure.
No, other artificial reef material provides the surface area, wave attenuation and eddie currents that are created with the use of Reef Balls. In the video you will also see the value of the relief from the bottom that creates habitat that cannot be created with bags of shell, or layers of rock.
I conclude, that in any living shoreline restoration project there should be an living breakwater off the shoreline in depths of 3′ or more.
Video filmed in Tampa Bay Florida – McDill provided to Reef Innovations.
Comments by Jim McFarlane.
Oyster Restoration – surface area.
With over 40 years of scientific observations and evaluations I concluded that surface area and relief are the two most important factors for success. Reef Balls have the best surface area and provide relief that has the best resilience for restoration projects. Plus, the formula for Reef Balls is inert, other products do not provide a structure suitable for as wide a spectrum of marine organisms. Until I find a better material I suggest using nothing else. 23 years of successes, and pages of scientific research provide the proof.
J W McFarlane
