Artificial Reefs- Strategy for Habitat Improvement

Abstract

Artificial reefs are benthic structures that are deliberately positioned with the goal of preserving, enhancing, or restoring features in marine ecosystems. They are employed as a potential tool for managing fisheries in order to maximize resource augmentation, resource conservation, habitat rehabilitation, and mitigation, as well as one of the ways to address the issue of declining fish resources in coastal waters. The establishment of artificial reefs or other underwater man-made structures is a common strategy for habitat improvement in aquatic areas. The design is the most crucial step in the planning process for purpose-built artificial reefs, and it entails choosing the right materials and creating a precise structure depending on the intended use of the reef as well as the local oceanographic circumstances.