Artificial reef footprint in the United States ocean

Avery B. Paxton (), D’amy N. Steward, Keith J. Mille, Jeffrey Renchen, Zachary H. Harrison, Jordan S. Byrum, Cameron Brinton, Alicia Nelson, Ethan Simpson, Peter J. Clarke, Christopher LaPorta, Patrick D. Barrett, Mark Rousseau, D. Craig Newton, Russell B. Rigby, D. Travis Williams, J. Brooke Shipley, Paul Murakawa, Brendan J. Runde, Kenneth L. Riley, Nathan M. Bacheler, G. Todd Kellison and J. Christopher Taylor
Additional contact information
Avery B. Paxton: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
D’amy N. Steward: Duke University
Keith J. Mille: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Jeffrey Renchen: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Zachary H. Harrison: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Jordan S. Byrum: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Cameron Brinton: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Alicia Nelson: Virginia Marine Resources Commission
Ethan Simpson: Virginia Marine Resources Commission
Peter J. Clarke: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Christopher LaPorta: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Patrick D. Barrett: Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries, Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Mark Rousseau: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Annisquam River Station
D. Craig Newton: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Russell B. Rigby: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
D. Travis Williams: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
J. Brooke Shipley: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Paul Murakawa: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
Brendan J. Runde: The Nature Conservancy
Kenneth L. Riley: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Nathan M. Bacheler: National Marine Fisheries Service
G. Todd Kellison: National Marine Fisheries Service
J. Christopher Taylor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Nature Sustainability, 2024, vol. 7, issue 2, 140-147

Abstract: Abstract Marine ecosystem declines have spurred global efforts to restore degraded habitats, manage marine life and enhance recreation opportunities by installing built structures called artificial reefs in seascapes. Evidence suggests that artificial reefs generate ecosystem services and risks, yet a fundamental ecological characteristic—the area of seafloor occupied by these constructed reefs—remains poorly quantified. Here we calculate the physical footprint (seafloor extent) of artificial reefs in the US ocean using spatial data from all 17 US coastal states with ocean reefing programmes. Our synthesis revealed that purposely sunk reef structures such as ships and concrete pipes occupy 19.23 km2 of the ocean through 2020. Over the past five decades (1970–2020), the intentional reef footprint increased 20.85-fold (~1,980%), but this rate of increase slowed in the past decade (2010–2020) to 1.12-fold (~12%). These baseline findings will inform sustainable use of built marine infrastructure and generation of ecological functions.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01258-7

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