Natural or Artificial Reefs: Everyone Enjoys Marine Life Differently According to B.C. Coast

TORONTO – New Study Shows Discussion of Artificial and Natural Reefs in BC the coast has ended in a kind of stalemate. It turns out that artificial reefs – mainly end-of-life military wrecks and ships deliberately sunk – attract a greater abundance of fish, while natural rock reefs accommodate a greater diversity of species

. Bulger, a graduate student at the University of Victoria, said Tuesday at North American Congress for the Conservation of Biology in Toronto. "They really have the potential to be useful, and it is encouraging to see so many rockfish there."

More specifically, artificial reefs contained a large number of Quillback Rockfish, a species considered as threatened by the Federal Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada Copper Rockfish and Perch were also abundant. "We want these thorny rockfish to rebound," Bulger said.

"But the loss of diversity (on artificial reefs) could also have impacts, and needs to be further examined. "It's possible that they attract fish. Mrs. Bulger was part of a crew of five who deployed a vehicle remote-controlled – the Saab Falcon – from a 10-year-old area. -powered aluminum engine to visually document marine life for about 90 minutes each at nine artificial reefs and nine reefs natural yew in the Strait of Georgia in September and October. Sonar was also used in the operation

Results show a greater density of redfish around the steel-hulled vessels, with an aluminum aircraft, a Boeing 737, sunk near Chemainus in 2006 Seven of the nine artificial reefs in the study were conducted by the Artificial Reef Society of BC, serving not only marine life, but also recreational diving sites. Survey depths ranged from 10 to 40 meters

The density of marine life increased as an artificial reef was located at the bottom of the ocean. Captain S. Capilano of 36.5 meters, a coastal freighter and a pbadenger liner that sank in 1915 near Denman Island, was jammed with white anemones

"It was completely covered", said Bulger. "It was almost as if the boat was white."

Invertebrate growth generally on ships adds complexity and attracts fish, which can also hide inside ships. "They help to turn the water in the currents, and it makes the nutrients swirl."

Although Bulger still categorizes the exact number of species observed, she said that there is a greater diversity of species in natural rock reefs, including giant octopus in the Pacific , Wolf Eel, and Tiger Rockfish.

"We found a dead octopus, too, on the bottom," she said. "It looked like an alien.The ROV had a claw, so we raised it.It was a giant."

The sinking of artificial reefs has been controversial over the years, including by local residents who are not interested in badociated diving activity and concerns about toxins entering the marine environment. Further work will take a closer look at what makes an artificial reef work best, including size, structure and location, helping to better inform potential sinking of future vessels.

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