Greenwashing Marine Conservation: The Use of Artificial Reefs for Fisheries and Coral Restoration Needs Oversight

Abstract

Attention to the overwhelming degradation in the marine environment is causing a new crisis: funding often outpaces the science, leading to myriad, often hastily planned, projects that may be accelerating the detriment of the very ecosystems they are meant to restore. We offer an unbiased assessment of this problem with a particular focus on artificial reefs, one of the most abundant and fastest growing marine infrastructure types globally, which gets particular attention because of claims of their ability to save coral reefs and fisheries. We offer solutions to safeguard against the potential of ecological harm and the distortions of greenwashing.