June 17, 2009 - Berry Islands, Bahamas

EcoReefs completed installation of a house reef at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Coco Cay Resort in the Bahamas.  

The reef consists of 50 EcoReefs modules anchored into soft sediment in and around some pre-existing ReefBall concrete forms.

Snorkeling is the most popular guest activity at Coco Cay, and this installation enlarges the amount of viewable reef habitat in front of the resort.  

Fish and coral colonization, along with the development of adjacent sea grass beds, is being monitored by Joe Penta, a graduate student from Nova Southeastern University as part of his master thesis research.  

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March 1, 2008 - Doha, Qatar  

The first of two EcoReefs installations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar was completed for Dolphin Energy Ltd.  

The pilot project is designed to assess the efficacy of EcoReefs installations as an marine ecological enhancement to armored LNG pipelines.  

750 modules were provided to DEL, 576 were used to for installation in 16 arrays of 36 modules each.  The site required the use of FRP hard ground anchors to mount the modules, these were cemented into pre-drilled holes.

Regular monitoring will examine reef development on EcoReefs modules as compared to references sites with natural substrate as well as concrete coated pipeline.

EcoReefs worked with Continental Shelf Associates to deliver the project.

Dolphin to Conduct Unique Coral Growth Study

Publish Date: Thursday,3 January, 2008, at 01:26 AM Doha Time

Business Reporter

DOLPHIN Energy will conduct the first ever ‘EcoReef’ coral growth study in the Gulf, beginning offshore Qatar soon. 

The project is being implemented in co-operation with Qatargas. 

Dolphin Energy has awarded the initial contract to coral experts Continental Shelf Associates International (CSA) based in the United States, who will use unique “EcoReef” technology in the project.

Qatar’s Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR), the Ras Laffan Environmental Association and Qatar University have been consulted on the pioneering initiative.

Dolphin Energy said World Bank Reef Guidelines are being followed for the study. 

Unique materials supplied by specialist engineers will be used. The installation will create complex reef habitats using ceramic modules that mimic natural branching corals. The ceramic is non-toxic, pH neutral, food-grade stoneware, and much success has been achieved with the system elsewhere.  The ceramic surfaces are unglazed so as to provide a rough surface that will assist young corals to attach and grow.

Dolphin Energy CEO Ahmed Ali al-Sayegh said: “These installations slow water currents, shelter the small fish which keep coral clean and alive, and provide the necessary microenvironments for successful coral growth.

“Dolphin’s current three-year coral reef mapping project in the Qatari and UAE waters has already shown us the need to regenerate older coral reefs in selected areas. Dolphin is pleased to have sourced a system that will contribute sensitively and positively to the marine environment in which we work.”

Dolphin’s project aims in part to determine what levels of species colonisation and growth may occur in offshore Qatar waters.

Under the terms of its contract with Dolphin, CSA will also work closely with local authorities to gather, evaluate, and synthesise existing reef information, prepare a detailed execution plan, and conduct field surveys of alternative locations. 

They will additionally select the preferred site, develop the experimental design, conduct monitoring over the next two years, prepare a final report, and present the results at an internationally recognised conference.