Protection and Profit Offshore

With Tropical Storm Debby coming up the coast this week, we’ll see the benefit of having NOAA’s Hurricane Center, as well as its European counterpart, that allowed timely forecasts of the storm’s track, timing, and potential intensities. Having this advanced notice gives cities and towns time to prepare to protect lives and property and, where necessary, to evacuate to high, drier ground.

Meanwhile, municipalities at the Merrimack River mouth have been wrestling for years with these issues. For instance, the Merrimack River Beach Alliance and Sen. Bruce Tarr have been working to understand and mitigate climate-induced damage to our area’s shorelines. So recent news that Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists and engineers may be working with Salisbury officials to explore construction of an offshore artificial reef to mitigate some of the impacts of coastal erosion is good to hear.

There are many examples around the world of artificial reefs being created both for protecting coastlines and also for creating marine habitat. Some offshore reefs have been accidentally created as sunken ships have settled to the bottom off the coast and generate rich aquatic habitats that can support day-trip tourism for fishing.

Some have occurred as a byproduct of other engineered projects. For instance, offshore oil wells, as unwelcome as they can be by environmentalists, do have some small redeeming values. It turns out that the bottom structure, especially of decommissioned wells, has the effect of forming an artificial reef at the base. These aquatic habitats (commonly known as fish aggregation devices) have created localized marine ecosystems and increased fish populations where they are located. The bases of offshore wind turbines have also been shown to create the same underwater habitats that support sea life and local economies beyond just providing clean energy.

Off the coast of New Jersey, there have been artificial reefs put in place for years with great success. They took decommissioned subway cars from New York and stripped them of any chemical or potentially polluting materials like seat cushions, plastics, etc. and then strategically sunk the large metal hulks to the bottom. Within short order these cars began buffering waves and, within a year, had accreted enough aquatic growth from corals to shellfish to seaweed that they become living reefs. Locally, fish populations soared, and small commercial and recreational fishing businesses thrived, as well.

Coastal protection can come in many forms, including dressing our near offshore in “tutus”. Yes tutus.

https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/05/25/magazine/emerald-tutu-floating-wetlands-coastal-erosion/‍

https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/a-review-of-innovative-technologies-for-erosion-and-flooding-protection/

There are serious academics and startups engaging in the design and testing of floating rings of seaweed growing on attached ropes and anchored to the bottom. The rings sway and float with every sort of tide and softly dampen the wave action, thus slowing coastal erosion. In addition to this erosion protection benefit, the seaweed can be commercially harvested for food. Plus, expanded marine communities develop around them and they become a nursery for better fishing in the future.

So, as Salisbury possibly works with MIT on their artificial reef concept, maybe they should also consider the added cost benefit that it will not only protect our coastline but also potentially create jobs in our highly marine dependent economies.

ACES and its Youth Corps invite you to stay updated on environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Join Our List” link on this page. Please consider joining our community of stewards who commit to Make Every Day Earth Day by contacting us at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. We can make a big difference together.

This educational column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on August 9, 2024.