Study

Drilling platforms as artificial reefs: distribution of macrobenthic assemblages of the Paguro wreck (northern Adriatic Sea)

  • Published source details Ponti M. (2002) Drilling platforms as artificial reefs: distribution of macrobenthic assemblages of the Paguro wreck (northern Adriatic Sea). ICES Journal of Marine Science, 59, S316-S323.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Repurpose obsolete offshore structures to act as artificial reefs

Action Link
Subtidal Benthic Invertebrate Conservation
  1. Repurpose obsolete offshore structures to act as artificial reefs

    A study in 1994 in the northern Mediterranean Sea, Italy (Ponti et al. 2002) found that a drilling platform that had been left in place to act as an artificial reef after sinking was colonised by at least 53 invertebrate species. Species included 14 species of molluscs, 14 species of worms, and 11 species of crustaceans. Most recorded species were associated with the hard habitat created by mussels and oysters. The drilling platform sank in 1965 due to a fire. The area surrounding it was then declared a marine protected area prohibiting all fishing. Samples were collected in summer 1994 between 10 and 34 m depths using two methods. Divers manually scraped off three 20 x 20 cm areas from each of four sites (two orientations within two water depths). Invertebrates (>0.5 mm) were identified and counted. Divers also took photographs along five vertical transects. Percentage cover of organisms were estimated from the photographs.

    (Summarised by: Anaëlle Lemasson)

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