Current Issues Relating to Artificial Reefs in European Seas

Abstract

European artificial reef research has now been active for about three decades. For much of that time research has been conducted within national programmes, focussing on national or local issues, and has taken place predominately in the Mediterranean Sea. Over the past ten years or so interest in artificial reef technology and science has spread into the NE Atlantic and Baltic Sea with an associated variation in aims and ideas. Reef scientists working in European seas have run projects to assess artificial reefs as tools to protect habitat from destruction from trawling (Spain, Italy and France), promote nature conservation (Monaco, Italy and France), aid fisheries (Italy, Spain, Portugal and France), assess novel materials for reef construction (Italy and UK), investigate habitat use for lobsters (UK, Italy and Israel), for aquaculture (Italy), as experimental sites where habitat parameters are known (UK, Holland and Italy) and as biofiltration structures (Finland, Russia, Poland and Romania). This variety of investigation is one of the strengths of artificial reef research in Europe, the community is diverse and there is great scientific value in establishing collaboration and dialogue with colleagues. The majority of artificial reef investigations have been, and still are, experimental with Italy dominating the research effort and Spain currently leading the way in the tonnage of reef material deployed, primarily for seagrass habitat protection. Problems associated with old descriptive, qualitative research have led to developments in quantification and comparative studies which have allowed a scientific perspective to be put on artificial reef deployments across Europe. Currently, as part of the EARRN (European Artificial Reef Research Network) initiative, there is an acceptance of the need to standardise some of the ecological methods used. If this is not practicable in some cases then at least the reporting of results will be done in such a way to allow comparison with data gathered elsewhere.