The Sinking of the USS Radford


 


Mission Statement

Ships to Reefs International is the worldwide authority on artificial reefing. Our mission:

  • To create man-made reefs from a variety of materials.
  • To facilitate proper preparation of materials.
  • To maintain a resource library.
  • To promote the acceptance of man-made reefs.

About Us

Ships to Reefs International was created to help coordinate artificial reefing efforts on an international basis, and will incorporate the new guidelines developed by the International Maritime Organization, an agency of the United Nations. In addition, United States members of Ships to Reefs International will coordinate a national artificial reefing program, to ensure a standardized reefing program in the U.S. All states and non-government organizations (NGOs) working to create Ships-to-Reefs programs will work together with the agencies of the federal government that have reefing programs, which include the Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S. Navy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Find Out How Ships to Reefs Makes You Money

Click an image below to view the narrated presentation.  

   

What is an Artificial Reef?

The term "artificial reef" refers to any man-made object that is intentionally or unintentionally placed underwater and that subsequently becomes an environment for aquatic life. Examples include vessels that have sunk as a result of storms or battle, decommissioned ships sunk purposely (for the purposes of diving, fishing, or as breakwaters), and random debris accidentally dumped off of ships. Some artificial reefs are structures created for the unique purpose of becoming an alluring fish habitat. The first intentional artificial reefs were designed decades ago by Japanese fisherman to improve the catches of their local fisheries. They continue to be used today.

What are the Benefits of Artificial Reefs?

By Brianna Politzer Stevens, M.A.

  • Maintaining biodiversity and the understanding of species: Artificial reefs often enhance and help maintain biodiversity (the number of species in a given marine location). This may be helpful where human activities, such as overfishing, have decreased the number of species. These projects also help marine scientists understand how life colonizes new mediums. 
  • Restoring fish populations: Research has convinced marine biologists that most intentional artificial reefs are helping the environment. For example, research done by Milton Love, Ph.D., a Santa Barbara marine biologist and one of the world's foremost authorities on artificial reefing, shows that fish populations are thriving around Southern California oil platforms. The fish use the platforms as "nurseries" for their young, sheltering the juveniles from currents and predators. As a result, the fish populations around the platforms have measurably increased, according to Dr. Love.
  • Artificial reefs generate revenue for surrounding communities. Biodiversity and abundant marine life attract scuba divers, underwater photographers, and fisherfolk. Coastal fisheries and aquaculture have proven their limits, according to Monterey marine biologist Lionel Pawlowski, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Aquaculture, which was designed to solve the problems of overfishing, has revealed some other problems regarding the quality of the products and some bad environmental effects (such as pollution by feces of high number of fish in semi-closed environments, such as in bays), Dr. Pawlowski's research has shown. Coastal fisheries are more and more limited by declining populations and with the necessity to go further and deeper. Artificial reefing may help rebuild fish species to support our population's growing demand.

Why Reef Surplus Ships?

Divers see the changes that occur in the ocean each time they dive. They see that there are fewer invertebrate organisms and falling numbers of fish capable of successful spawning. Catches of most inshore fish species and several migratory species have fallen off drastically in recent years. While several initiatives have been undertaken to address these issues, the problem of how to sustain the ports, and the vessels which call them home, has not been solved.  For more information, click here.