Artificial reefs as unifying and energizing factors in future research and management of fisheries and ecosystems

Artificial reefs have received varied acceptance in over 50 nations for practical purposes such as ecosystem conservation and fishery production. Scientifically, they are used increasingly as platforms for rigorous ecological experimentation. Historically, a case has been made that at least some artificial reef technologies have not been grounded upon grounded principles, and that their utilization can harm fish populations and the environment. Can artificial reef deployments, and their associated body or technical knowledge, be considered as established practices and components in fishery science? What is the appropriate role and scope for them in marine ecosystem management? While these questions are debated, advances in the science and applications of this technology nevertheless continue. This chapter concludes that this relatively young field does "add value" to environmental science and management. Our understanding of artificial reefs needs to be informed by theory and empirical evidence, and this paper adopts both approaches. Bioeconomics provides a frame of reference for analysing the circumstances in which reef deployment will generate sustainable economic benefits, and gives a theoretical context for the examples that follow. Case studies illustrate a sustained community-based fishery in Portugal, attainment of resource protection and allocation objectives in Italy, success in designing a reef to create habitat for kelp in the United States, and incorporation of reefs into marine ranching in Korea, all at relatively large scales. Together, these findings illustrate shared attributes and trends concerning study and deployment of artificial reefs, which may unify, guide, and foster future investigations and management in various branches of aquatic sciences.