US Virgin Islands Constructing ‘First of Its Kind’ Artificial Reef

Fish swim among coral that has grown on the retired Naval Landing Ship Dock Spiegel Grove, sunk 20 years earlier, six miles off Key Largo, Fla., to become an artificial reef, on May 15, 2022. Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP

The U.S. Virgin Islands is set to construct a “first of its kind” artificial reef aimed at protecting its coasts and increasing resiliency against future storms, officials announced on Jan. 11.

In a press release, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources said its first ever artificial reef will be built via an initiative funded by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Approximately $763,784 in disaster funding awarded to the University of the Virgin Islands following 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria will support the design, construction, and installation of the artificial reef, which will measure 18 feet by 12 feet, officials said.

Coral reefs act as a buffer to protect coasts from natural hazards such as flooding. According to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Coastal Zone Management, coral reefs provide an annual flooding protection value of $1.805 billion nationally.

They also generate billions of dollars annually in food, jobs, and tourism.

However, global stressors such as coral bleaching are fast eroding corals.

“This initiative will create a prototype that positions the Virgin Islands as a regional leader in developing critical habitats to help safeguard our local fish, coral, and reef life from upcoming natural disasters,” Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources said in a statement Thursday.

“We are excited to partner with the university on preventing widespread damage to our valuable undersea resources and increasing their chances of survival for time to come,” he concluded.

‘Corals Struggling’

The University of the Virgin Islands is already sifting through the strongest specimens out of roughly 15 types of coral to attach to the eventual artificial reef, which officials said will take the shape of an iconic petroglyph.

The university is collaborating with researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts on the project and using cutting edge technology to create an “environmentally sensitive design” made using an array of materials such as “carbon-friendly cement to natural chemicals” to help stimulate coral growth.

A location for the coral reef has not yet been established, however officials noted that the “permitting process for the project with the Division of Coastal Zone Management, and the Army Corps of Engineers is moving toward final approvals of location.”

Officials anticipate construction to be completed by July of this year.

Once installed, scientists will regularly perform observations on the artificial reef to ensure settlement, growth, and effectiveness.

Based on the project’s results, the university will provide a policy prescription to the Division of Fish and Wildlife, officials said.

“This is the first of its kind project in the territory,” said Marilyn Brandt, project manager and a research professor at the University of the Virgin Islands.

“The goal is to provide enhanced habitat for corals struggling from climate change and provide added shoreline protection as we work to restore natural coral reefs. We’re hoping to learn a lot and inform any future work,” Ms. Brandt added.