Patent Application
20180317462
The invention relates to an artificial reef constructed so as to simulate a natural reef through providing a corresponding plurality and heterogeneity of microhabitats and refuges for benthic and benthopelagic species and to a technical process for the production of such artificial reefs with a form and aesthetics similar to those of natural reefs and a structure that allows their handy launching and mounting onto the seabed. Further the invention relates to artificial underwater ecotourism attractions or artificial oases for recreational diving, made up of a cluster of a predetermined plurality of artificial reefs adapted to determine one or more diving trails.
Ecotourism as an economic activity requires efficient management and planning in order to prevent negative environmental impacts. It is generally acknowledged that most ecotourism products are eventually consumed by mass or soft ecotourists whose non-ecological behavior during their stay in a tourist destination might be detrimental to the local environment and society. As a result the development of ecotourism in environmentally sensitive areas continues to disrupt the ecological balance and has negative effects on the populations of species of local wildlife that inevitably lead to loss of biodiversity. The establishment of specific artificially modified small areas for the concentration of mass ecotourism is one of the strategies that have been developed to tackle this problem. Inasmuch as this category of soft ecotourists represents the vast majority of visitors, their concentration within such artificially modified small areas enables a more efficient management of neighboring natural areas of high ecological value wherein access is provided to a minority of environmentally conscious visitors (hard ecotourists).
Accordingly, the growth of marine tourism has resulted in an ever increasing environmental pressure and a decrease in biodiversity mainly apparent in destinations with a particular diving interest. These negative effects are due to the presence of divers themselves as they dive on natural reefs either with an autonomous diving apparatus (SCUBA divers) or using an observation mask and snorkel (snorkelers). It has been verified through direct observations in the field that almost in each recreational diving numerous incidents of deliberate or unconscious contacts of the divers with sensitive marine organisms are being recorded, such incidents cumulatively resulting in the injury or killing of many of those organisms. This continued negative impact of visiting divers gradually leads to a degradation of the ecosystem that might locally even result in the total destruction thereof. The degradation of many underwater diving destinations because of the massive marine tourism necessitates the adoption of management measures aiming at decongesting visits, such as the reduction of the number of diving and the diverting of a portion of visitors from sensitive marine natural areas of high ecological and aesthetic value.
One of the solutions being provided to address the problem is the creation of artificial underwater ecotourism attractions using specially constructed artificial reefs attempting to simulate the functional and morphological characteristics of the sublittoral rocky substrata, known as natural reefs. The artificial reefs are deployed onto the seabed within the borders of specially designated areas with the main operational objective of increasing abundance, biomass and diversity of local natural biological resources in order to attract visitors-divers interested in diving through underwater routes amid a complex of such artificial structures.
The review of the literature relating to the typology of artificial reefs that have been used so far to serve entertainment-ecotourism purposes on the basis of their physical appearance beneath the sea surface and the materials of construction thereof (Stolk et al 2015. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 15:4, 331-350), classifies them into the following general categories:
a) Artificial reefs that arise from the conversion of use of human constructions, e.g. old ships, airplanes, cars, other waste means of transport, etc.
b) Artificial reefs functionally similar to natural reefs, which are however significantly distant from an accurate simulation of the form and aesthetics of natural reefs, e.g. prefabricated units made of metal, concrete, motor car tires, etc., or from syntheses of these materials. These constructions are usually mass produced and are formulated in various geometrical shapes, such as pyramids, hemispheres, domes, rectangular blocks, etc., and
c) Artificial reefs that attempt to simulate natural reefs through emulating the function, form and aesthetics of the latter.
A large portion of public opinion and mainly of the visitors of the underwater areas with artificial reefs having aesthetics and form far distant from those of natural reefs, as in categories (a) and (b) hereinabove, reject these forms of intervention in the natural environment. Some even believe that this practice is a pretense and in reality it is nothing more than a practice of polluting the seabed through the disposal or even the deliberate concealment of “trash” therein.
Two types of artificial reefs are classified in the third hereinabove category attempting to emulate the function and at the same time the aesthetics and form of natural reefs.
The first type relates to a method of electrolysis of seawater, as disclosed by HILLERTZ and GOREAU in U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,034, by means of applying electric current of low voltage that causes a gradual deposition of salts, e.g. calcium carbonate onto wire meshes placed in selected areas of the seabed. The deposition of layers of salt onto these meshes allows habitation of various benthic species, mainly colonies of hard corals, thereby formulating coral reefs. It should however be noted that this method has certain drawbacks that have substantially prevented its implementation at a wide range. Drawbacks of this method include the requirement of maintaining the electric field necessary for the electrolysis of water and the gradual deposition of an adequate layer of salts onto the wire meshes for long periods. As a result significant technical problems are often observed in the power plants and in the electric current transmission facilities, whilst a partial or total destruction of these facilities might occur due to extreme weather conditions or due to other causes, such as the passage or anchoring of vessels, etc. Another serious drawback is that the nascent coral reefs maintain the anthropogenic form of the wire meshes being employed, thereby ultimately producing an aesthetic effect which is significantly distant from that of a natural reef.
The second type relates to the use of natural rocks or of boulders of quarries transported from land locations and deployed onto the seabed to form irregular piles of various dimensions. It has been demonstrated that such formations are practically quite functional, but at the same time they are also simple and monotonous in appearance as compared with corresponding natural reefs, thereby being unable to substantially attract visiting divers seeking recreation.
Given the well documented lack of artificial reefs that satisfy modern recreational diving requirements, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art with the proposal of the construction of a new type of artificial reef for recreational diving that fully retains or excels the functionality of natural reefs through providing an enhanced availability and heterogeneity of microhabitats and refuges for benthic and benthopelagic marine organisms whilst simulating the form and aesthetics of natural reefs.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a technical process for the production of such artificial reefs having a form and aesthetics similar to that of natural reefs and a structure that allows their handy launching and mounting onto the seabed.
A further object of the invention is the creation of artificial underwater ecotourism attractions or underwater parks or artificial oases for recreational diving, wherein a predetermined plurality of artificial reefs of the invention is employed, such artificial reefs specifying one or more diving trails starting at predetermined diving starting points and terminating at predetermined diving termination points wherein emergence of the visiting divers takes place.
An object of the invention also is the equipping of the aforementioned artificial oases for recreational diving, in order to provide a secure operation thereof, with floating means on the sea surface adapted to provide anchorage of the vessels used to carry visiting divers at the starting point of diving trails within the abovementioned artificial oases and to pick them up at the point of termination thereof and with special surface buoys adapted to provide a visible marking of the outer borders of the oases and prevent the entering of vessels within the protected interior areas of the oases thereby averting accidents.
A further object of the invention in relation to the aforementioned artificial oases for recreational diving is the employment of artificial reefs of a smaller size acting as milestones of the diving trail, such milestones being deemed particularly necessary in underwater oases wherein the clusters of artificial reefs installed onto the seabed are significantly distant and they can not be distinguished clearly in conditions of limited transparency of the water.
It is thus an object of the invention through the proposal of artificial reefs and the layout of underwater artificial oases for recreational diving to provide on the one hand a substitute or to avert at some extent the modern trend of establishing diving parks in remote, environmentally sensitive and extensive areas of the seabed that present a high ecological value and aesthetics whilst raising major environmental management issues for the conservation and protection thereof, and on the other hand to render, through the application of this technology, the installation of such underwater artificial oases for recreational diving near major urban and tourist centers within relatively small-scale protected areas of the seabed and mainly onto a sedimentary substrate (sand, muddy sand, etc.) that in itself does not present any particular ecological, fishing or archaeological interest.
Each artificial reef unit of the invention is made of concrete and exhibits the general form of an upright elongate monolith characterized by an extensive structural complexity. This artificial monolith provides extensive vertically or almost vertically delimited surfaces at the exterior thereof comprising a plurality of irregular corrugations in the form of successive recesses and overhangs that emulates the micro-texture of underwater rocks and provides a suitable substrate for the settlement on their surface of benthic plant and animal organisms. Irregularly sized blind holes of varying diameter and varying depth are created at selected locations of the exterior surface of the reefs. In parallel, inwardly oriented through or blind crevices of varying sizes and thickness are being formed that perpendicularly, obliquely or transversely pass through large portions of the main structure of the reefs. Special wider chambers that communicate with the external environment through those through or blind crevices are being constructed in the interior of the reefs. All these configurations in the exterior and the interior of the reefs provide microhabitats and refuges to a wide range of benthic and benthopelagic fish as well as to various invertebrate benthic species, such as by way of example cephalopods and decapods crustaceans. These organisms live permanently or find a long term or temporary shelter within the individual structures of the reef, which they choose depending on their size.
Each artificial reef of the invention consists of a compact base plate of reinforced concrete and a superstructure wherein are created the aforementioned exterior and interior configurations of microhabitats and refuges for a number of benthic and benthopelagic fish, as well as of a variety of invertebrate species. The base of the reef comprises at least one through hole, preferably vertically oriented at the center thereof, a foundation beam or tube being adapted to pass through this hole and a pair of through holes extending from one point on the circumference of the base to a directly opposing point, preferably symmetrically on either side of the central vertically oriented hole, ropes or straps being adapted to pass through these holes to suspend the reef during launching thereof onto the seabed.
The stability of the artificial reefs onto the substrate of eventual installation thereof is in the first instance being achieved with the displacement of the center of gravity thereof towards the base of the artificial reef, such displacement being materialized in the first place with the construction of the base with a slab of reinforced concrete and of the superstructure preferably with a special concrete comprising inert lightweight materials. The latter is being sprayed in one or more successive stages to cover a structural frame composed of a complex of stems extending along a trunk implanted into the base, said complex of stems being covered with a plurality of plastic grid items in a predetermined manner in correspondence with a prior elaborated design. The sequential covering of the structural frame of the superstructure with concrete ultimately results in the configuration of the walls of microhabitats and refuges of the artificial reef, which due to their multiplex structure and the numerous empty spaces formed in between those walls in the form of holes, crevices, chambers, etc. render the superstructure with a comparatively lower specific weight as compared to that of the base.
The invention will be best understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings which present illustrative preferred embodiments thereof.
The invention will be hereinafter described by reference to the illustrative embodiments presented in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only to serve in adequately disclosing the invention and do not limit the scope of protection thereof.
An artificial reef 1 for recreational diving of the invention comprises a base 2 constructed with a slab of reinforced concrete and a vertically extending superstructure 3 having the general configuration of an upright elongate monolith of high structural complexity, such superstructure 3 being constructed with concrete, preferably with a special concrete comprising inert lightweight materials that is being sprayed in one or more successive stages to cover a structural frame composed of a trunk 31 implanted into the base, a cluster of stems 32 and plastic grid items 12 suspended onto the complex of stems 32. The structural frame of the superstructure 3 has a predetermined structure of the aforementioned cluster of stems 32 suitable for implementing a predetermined plan of suspension of the plastic grid items 12 thereupon, so that, following the aforementioned ejection of concrete, a predetermined wall configuration of the superstructure 3 is being created, such walls providing a desired, predetermined arrangement of microhabitats and refuges of the artificial reef. It is herein noted that due to the multiplex structure and the numerous empty spaces formed in between these walls in the form of holes, crevices, chambers, etc. the superstructure 3 is rendered with a comparatively lower specific weight as compared to that of the base.
The embodiment of the artificial reef unit of the invention illustratively shown in
The various lines of production of artificial reefs for recreational diving produce artificial reef units characterized by generally identical dimensions and shape with an identical structural complexity for each preselected design pattern in the exterior and interior thereof. By way of example, the artificial reef units of each production line follow an identical configuration and manufacturing standard in relation to the overall number, type, shape and location of the individual interior or exterior morphological structures, e.g. of the smaller and larger exterior apertures or cavities 10 and 11 or of the through holes 7 or blind crevices 9 or of the interior open chambers 8, etc.
The design of the varying lines of production of artificial reef units and the final selection of the structural characteristics of each series exclusively depends on the number and size of benthic and benthopelagic target organisms that could potentially choose to settle, either permanently or temporarily within the reefs of the invention. By way of example the provision of a certain number of major exterior holes forming cavities 10, 11 can provide the habitat for particularly targeted fish species of the family of Serranidae (e.g. groupers) and the corresponding construction of through holes 7 or of blind crevices 9 with or without configurations of interior chambers 8 is a preferred refuge of various species of the family of Sparidae (e.g. White seabream, Common two-banded seabream, etc.).
In areas of the seabed where there prevail profoundly intense hydrodynamic phenomena, additional measures are adopted for maintaining each reef unit fixedly mounted in the original location of installation thereof. In this respect one or more slots are provided in the form of cylindrical or alternatively shaped holes extending vertically upwardly into a portion or the entire superstructure of the reef perpendicularly oriented to the base. These holes are provided with a specially tapered opening, illustratively in the form of a truncated cone, in the lower part thereof allowing, during the launching of the artificial reef onto the seabed, a handy introduction therein of appropriately sized and shaped foundation tubes or beams fixedly mounted vertically within the seabed. The number of the aforementioned holes and of the corresponding foundation tubes or beams to be employed depends on the intensity of hydrodynamic phenomena, the overall height and the vertically oriented surface area of each reef unit exposed to the sea bottom currents. Similar methods of implantation of foundation pipes within sedimentary bottoms are known e.g. as disclosed by Dounas in EP0897034.
As illustrated in
As shown in
With a scope of handily launching the reef onto the seabed, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base 2 is provided with a pair of through holes 6, which extend from a point on the circumference of the base to the directly opposite point thereof, said holes 6 being oriented in parallel directions, preferably symmetrically on either side of the central vertically oriented hole 4, wherein these holes 6 are adapted to receive ropes or straps employed to fasten the artificial reef unit and enable movement and final settlement thereof onto the seabed.
In order to securely fix the plastic grid items 12 at the predetermined positions that would render, following concrete ejection, the formation of appropriately configured walls of the artificial reef which would provide the microhabitats and refuges of targeted benthic and benthopelagic species, ropes 14 are provided, these ropes 14 being fixedly mounted onto the base 2 and appropriately suspended along the scaffold 13 by means of ropes 15 for securely supporting the superstructure 3 during the various phases of setting the plastic grid items 12 in position and of subsequently covering the same with concrete being ejected thereupon.
Whilst
The stability of the artificial reefs in the locus of final installation thereof is ensured in the first instance with the displacement of their center of gravity towards the area of their mounting onto the seabed, such displacement being achieved with the employment of a slab of reinforced concrete in the construction of the base 2 on the one hand and of a special concrete comprising inert lightweight materials in the construction of the superstructure 3 on the other hand, whereby the multiplex structure and the numerous empty spaces formed in between the walls of the superstructure in the form of cavities 10, 11, holes 7, crevices 9, chambers 8, etc. render the superstructure with a comparatively lower specific weight as compared to that of the base. This differential in the specific weight of the base 2 and the superstructure 3 in each artificial reef unit 1 increases its stability in conditions of prevalence of weak or even moderate hydrodynamic phenomena (waves, bottom currents) through increasing their resistance (drag force) to prevailing currents and allows safe maintenance of their original upright mounting position onto the seabed.
The artificial reef 1 of the invention may be used as a singular item founded onto predetermined locations of the seabed. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a plurality of groups comprising a plurality of artificial reef units 1 that have been constructed in accordance with a single design pattern or preferably in accordance with a variety of design patterns, the latter attracting a yet greater interest of divers, are installed onto the seabed at predetermined short distances from each other, thereby creating an underwater artificial oasis for recreational diving. The artificial reef units making up each group may be specialized in terms of the structural complexity thereof and in this respect they may be characterized by a specific number, type and dimensions of their exterior and interior structural features, e.g. holes 7, cavities 10, 11, crevices 9, chambers 8, etc., thereby enabling habitation of specifically targeted species of benthic and benthopelagic organisms in each particular group of artificial reefs. The hereinabove discrete groups of reefs provide a desired diversification of the distribution of marine biodiversity along the diving trails, thereby correspondingly increasing their attractiveness for visiting divers.
In order to ensure safe touring within the oasis for recreational diving, it is deemed appropriate to provide surface floaters 23 for the anchorage of vessels carrying visiting divers at the starting point 24 and picking them up at the end 25 of each diving trail 22 as it is specified by the dotted line connecting the starting point 24 and the point of termination 25. Appropriate surface buoys 26 are provided at the corners of the contour of the planned section (ABCD), such buoys 26 marking the outer limits of the oases thereby preventing the entrance of vessels within the protected interior areas of the oases and averting potential accidents.
Other selected simulations of natural or man-made sculptures might be located along the diving trails. By way of example, the artificial reef composition 27 is employed as illustrated in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150100490 | Nov 2015 | GR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GR2015/000065 | 12/29/2015 | WO | 00 |
