|
|
Title: REEF RELIEF
Story By:
Marsha Pardee Woodring
Photo's By: Living
Classroom Foundation
Issue: Winter
2000/2001
 The Islands of the Turks &
Caicos are often described as a brilliant chain of
pearls scattered in an endless sea. It is true that
these lustrous isles appear luminescent from afar, but
it's the setting that adds sparkle to these gems. Framed
with a fringing lace of reefs submerged in emerald
colored seas, the surroundings set the stage for the
splendor of these jewels.
Metaphorically
speaking, this analogy symbolizes more than just a
descriptive connotation. Undeniably, it is the watery
realm that enchants the eye and captivates the crowds
here. Although the land has its own indelible
attributes, it is the lure of ocean life that attracts
most people to these shores.
For there is nothing
ordinary about them. Our waters contain one of the most
diverse ecosystems in the world--the coral reef. The
tiny archipelago coined the Turks & Caicos is laced
and studded with countless miles of fringing and patch
reefs. A haven for multifarious troupes of water borne
treasures, the reefs are a vital component in the
complex ecology of the ocean system.
But for most
humans, it is merely a wondrous playground, filled with
colorful fish and curious looking creatures. In a world
that craves to be entertained, the reef is quite
possibly one of the greatest shows on earth! The simple
act of snorkeling can bring one face to face with all of
life's dramas on one seemingly simple stage. Like a soap
opera in full swing, there are murder and mayhem,
courtships and caresses, and countless other acts
unfolding before your eyes with a single flip of your
fins. And the costumes are to die for! In this watery
realm, every act is purposeful and perfectly
choreographed to orchestrate the balanced cycle of life
that brings death and death that gives
life.
Unfortunately, the growing audiences are
beginning to play a part in the demise of the reefs,
disrupting nature's fragile balancing act. The most
offensive actions are those that impact the corals, the
cornerstones of this impressive undersea empire. Corals
are living organisms; architects and artisans in their
own right. They are responsible for creating the massive
coraline framework from which a multitude of other
creatures can make their homes. As with almost
everything in the marine environment, corals also play a
part in the intricate food web. Once consumed, their
remains take a role by turning into the sands beneath
our feet.
An Undersea Drama Unfolds
The many
miles of reefs that adorn the waters off of the Turks
& Caicos Islands have taken millions of years to
become the massive structures that we now see. Layer by
layer, these minute organisms have laid down their lives
to become the foundation for the next generation's
growth. In the process, they have perpetuated the
existence of much of the tropical marine
world.
As if these magnanimous efforts were not
noble enough, the corals also act as a natural barrier,
protecting the land from stormy surges and waves. And as
an aside, they have become center stage for our
burgeoning tourism industry, attracting thousands to see
the age-old reenactment of life in the undersea world.
Millions of dollars are generated annually to see
nature's free production, yet few are spent in the
protection of its sustainable outcome.
Of most
concern are our nearshore patch reefs--meaning those
that can be accessed from the shore without use of a
boat. On Providenciales, the tourism hub of the Turks
& Caicos, Smith's Reef and the Bight Reef
accommodate most of the pedestrian traffic. This is
apparent in more ways than one. The effects of snorkeler
impact are finally taking their toll. The corals appear
literally battered and bruised with great gaps of dead
white skeletons where once there was living tissue.
Although still considered a snorkeler's paradise, these
reefs are on the decline. Little by little, the
cancerous process is crippling the growth of the reef
system, resulting not only in fewer corals, but less of
all the creatures that depend upon them.
Efforts
have been made to try and slow this debilitating drama.
In 1997, underwater snorkeling trails were installed on
both reefs. The purpose of the trails is duo-fold. The
series of markers act to educate the snorkelers on the
rules of reef etiquette while steering them on a path
that has the least potential for damage to the reef. By
following the trail through deeper waters on the outer
rim of the reef, snorkelers are less likely to
traumatize the corals. This also tends to localize any
impacts to a given area, protecting the more shallow
interior zones.
Although these efforts may have
assisted in slowing the initial decline, the problems
continue to increase as more and more tourists arrive
each year to snorkel these same two reefs. Another
option has emerged on the scene in hopes of deferring
the impacts. The alternative is the construction of an
artificial reef in a nearshore area that is easily
accessible for beachgoers. The alternate reef site
should take some of the attention away from the other
sites, thereby decreasing the potential number of
impacts to the original reefs. Eventually, the
escalating numbers of tourists may continue to overwhelm
the limited reef accesses, but efforts to spread the
tourist pressures may help to offset a more rapid
decline.
Giving Mother Nature a Helping Hand
Artificial reefs are man-made structures that
provide surface area for corals and other encrusting
organisms to grow while offering protective habitat for
beautiful tropical fish and other prized species. In
essence, they give a jump-start on nature's natural
processes by supplying what would take many years of
biological growth to accomplish otherwise in terms of
structural formation.
What are they made of?
Many people think that almost anything tossed into the
ocean will eventually become an artificial reef. This is
not necessarily true. Lightweight debris usually just
ends up back on our shorelines. Substances that are
corrosive will eventually break down, usually long
before a natural hardened surface can be formed around
the original structure. A number of products actually
leach toxic chemicals into the surrounding environ,
doing more harm than good. A final consideration is
aesthetics. Few people are interested in diving or
snorkeling on a site that resembles the local landfill
or junkyard.
Today's technology advocates the
use of prefabricated mold systems that utilize a
concrete based product. Aside from maximizing surface
area for sessile organisms and providing refuge for
mobile animals, considerations for the design of these
reef structures include stability, longevity and
chemically balanced concrete.
The Reef Ball
Development Group has devised a patented fiberglass mold
system for the construction of artificial reefs. Reef
Balls are hollow, dome-shaped structures designed to
imitate the natural reef formations.
Each Reef
Ball has its own unique hole sizing and placement, with
the surface textured for enhancing settlement of marine
life. The units are made with marine friendly concrete
which has been combined with additives to create a
super-strong, abrasion-resistant structure with a pH
similar to ocean waters. They are engineered for
underwater stability and longevity, and cause minimal
impact to the surrounding areas.
A New
Attraction
Once deployed, the Reef Ball will begin
to come to life through various natural processes.
Almost immediately, fish and other mobile marine
creatures will migrate into this new habitat in search
of safe havens. Primary growth, consisting of a myriad
of marine algae, will flourish within the first few
months, nurtured by the inputs and outputs of the more
mobile species. Corals and other invertebrates will
begin to take hold soon thereafter, creating a coraline
castle for its colorful inhabitants. Each structure will
be a unique creation, each array a community of
individuals, and the whole environment a balance of its
parts.
Artificial reefs have been used for a
number of purposes worldwide. With the decline of our
natural coral reef systems, reef restoration has been
one of the primary objectives. Other applications
include using the structures to build more naturally
productive and aesthetically pleasing breakwaters, or
for enhancing fisheries production in a given
area.
Here in Providenciales, we have used them
as the base mounts for our underwater snorkel trails
which provide educational information regarding coral
reef ecology as well as conservation ethics and
stewardship for reef communities. We have now expanded
our use of the Reef Ball structures to furnish an
alternate snorkeling site in an attempt to divert impact
pressures from the other natural nearshore reefs to
allow these systems to rebuild and flourish.
The
Reef Ball Coalition, www.reefballcoalition.com, a
non-profit organization, has taken the Reef Ball concept
a step further. As with almost all things in this world,
it costs money to build an artificial reef. The
Coalition has come up with a plan that not only finances
the construction of the reef, but provides the needed
labor through educational programs that teach
participants about the importance of conserving our
coral reefs. It is in this manner that the new
artificial reef is being constructed on Providenciales.
The only cost to the Turks & Caicos is the use of
the "Queen's Bottom" as they call it (or is it Princess
Alexandria's?), where the fabricated Reef Balls are
making their debut.
The Latest Release on Reef
Relief
The new artificial reef is located just
offshore from the beach access area known as Sculpture
Junction at the intersection of Pratt's and Bight Road.
This site was chosen due to its proximity to the
upcoming Visitor's Center that will be directly across
from the park entrance. Officials felt that the location
was opportune for maximizing both public awareness about
the reef and to educate visitors on reef conservation
protocols. Once the new Visitor's Center is complete,
reef educational information will be highlighted as part
of the National Park interpretive display sections and
actively promoted through the Center's education
programs.
A small, naturally formed reef does
exist in this area with several little coral heads
scattered about. The artificial reef structures are
being placed in arrays to the right of the main portion
of the reef, steering snorkelers around several of the
existing smaller coral heads.
Each array is made up
of eight to ten Reef Balls clumped together and within
visual distance of each other. To date, 27 balls have
been deployed in the area in three separate arrays. Each
ball is approximately two feet in height and three feet
at the base width, weighing approximately 350-500
pounds. A total of 100 Reef Balls, clumped in 10-12
arrays, is anticipated to complete the Reef Discovery
Site.
Setting the Stage
Making Reef Balls is
fun and relatively easy, although certainly not what you
would call a glamorous job. The first step is to
assemble the fiberglass molds. Reef Balls' patented mold
system provides all the necessary ingredients with a
step by step script to ensure all bolts, pins and wedges
go in their proper places. Tether balls are used to make
the hole placements, with a large polyform bladder for
the center spacing. A simple solution of sugar water
ensures that the molds pull apart easily.
Once
complete, the molds are ready for the concrete mixture.
This is where the job gets dirty and needs a bit of
brute force. Obviously, the concrete needs to be mixed
first, complete with special additives, and should
attain a desired consistency of cake batter. The
specially formulated mixture then has to be cajoled into
place, usually by banging the sides of the molds with
rubber mallets, jumping on the pallet base or even a
well placed kick or two in the side. (Swearing seems
appropriate, but is not necessarily very effective,
although the scene reminds one of an aggression therapy
session.)
Then it's intermission time. The molds
can usually be pulled off after about 12 hours, but
another couple of days are needed for curing before the
balls can be put into the water.
Transporting the
balls to the beach and down to water's edge takes the
real True Grit, as in gritting your teeth as you strain
to move the balls and ending up covered in sand and grit
in the process.
Deployment is even more of a gas,
literally speaking. Amazingly enough, these massive
structures float with the aid of the center polyform
bladders. They are pumped up with the use of a scuba
tank, then leisurely floated out to the site. Remove the
bladder valve and Whoosh!, they drop to the sea floor.
As soon as the first Reef Ball lands on the
seabed, fish head for it. And so the process
begins--it's now Mother Nature's time to take over.
Minute organisms will settle into the cracks and
crevices of the textured concrete and the ball will
begin to grow. Although several years are needed for
complete coverage, the Reef Balls begin to draw an
audience of organisms immediately and will go through a
number of transitional stages in their growth. The
production itself is a world class premiere on ecology
and how the environment can change.
Writing the
Script
As with most projects of this nature, an
enormous amount of time and effort was required to get
it off the ground and in the water. Initial contacts
concerning the idea for adding an artificial reef to the
Princess Alexandria National Park were made in November
of 1998. The paperwork process then began to obtain
approvals from various Government agencies.
The
first step was to submit an environmental impact
assessment on the area under consideration. This study
would ensure that no negative impacts would result from
the placement of the underwater reef structures.
Biologically speaking, the artificial reef acts to
enhance the local productivity, but in physical terms,
we had to ensure that there would be no erosion effects
caused by the additional reef.
This report was
then submitted through the National Parks Advisory
Council, the overall agency responsible for such
proposals. Two key personnel were actively involved in
seeing the project paperwork through: the Coastal
Resource Management Project (CRMP) Manager, Mrs. Judith
Lynn Campbell, and the Department of Environmental and
Coastal Resources (DECR) Chief Scientific Officer, Mrs.
Michelle Gardiner. Their efforts truly helped to
expedite the process. Because the site is located on
what is considered the "Queen's Bottom," Executive
Council approvals were needed. The Ministry of Natural
Resources very efficiently lobbied for approval with
final consent for the project given in May of 1999.
Behind the Scenes
The next step was to
organize the participant programs needed to finance the
whole affair. The Reef Ball Coalition launched a
marketing program to solicit individuals or groups
interested in helping with the project. Their first
approach was to organize holiday packages that would
include two working days for fabricating and deploying
Reef Balls. (The rest of the trip would be spent
enjoying the sites and activities of the
Islands.)
Unfortunately, this approach has not
yet been successful for the TCI to date, but their
environmental education programs have. In this scenario,
schools or groups can incorporate a reef restoration
element into their programs. Reef Ball Coalition staff
assist in training students and teachers in the
fabrication and deployment of the artificial reefs.
A dress rehearsal of sorts was held in June,
1999 to induct local partner, Marsha Pardee Woodring and
husband Mark Woodring, along with several volunteers,
into the Reef Ball fabrication and deployment process.
CRMP Conservation Wardens assisted in the project. Jerry
Barber, father and co-founder of the Reef Ball
Development Group, and son Jason Seeley, the
representative for Reef Ball Coalition, directed the
show. In this initial training program, the first 10
balls were deployed at the Visitor Center site.
The Coalition's marketing efforts finally came
to fruition in November, 1999. The Living Classroom
Foundation (LCF), www.livingclassrooms.org, another
non-profit organization, had been inspired by Reef
Ball's efforts worldwide in reef restoration. Located in
Baltimore, Maryland, LCF operates for the benefit of the
community at large, providing hands-on education and job
training, with special emphasis on at-risk youth and
groups from diverse backgrounds.
The Foundation
provides experience-based educational programs
emphasizing the applied learning of math, science,
language arts, history, economics and ecology. Key
objectives of all LCF programs are career development,
cooperative learning, community service, elevating
self-esteem and fostering multicultural exchange.
Although the Foundation typically works out of their
Maryland campus headquarters, they felt that a marine
education program, complete with its reef restoration
aspects, would fulfill their key objectives and goals.
Thus began the staging for the Summer 2000 Reef
Restoration Programs.
A Stellar Performance
After many months of planning and preparation, the
show was finally on the road and in the air. Students
arrived on June 30, 2000 for first of two intensive
marine ecology programs. The Provo Marine Biology Center
became home base for the kids and their chaperones, as
they explored and experienced island life. Each program
lasted for 14 days, with a total of 37 high school age
students participating throughout the summer. Four Turks
Islanders, sponsored by scholarships from Bank of
America, Living Classroom Foundation, the Reef Ball
Foundation, www.reefball.com, and Coalition, and the
Provo Marine Biology Center itself, had leading roles in
the programs, introducing their counterparts to life in
the TCI.
The curriculum for the LCF Reef
Restoration Programs covered a number of ecology topics
based on the local marine environs. Although the focal
point was coral reefs, students learned about the
importance of seagrasses, mangroves, biological,
physical and chemical processes and how they all
interact to support our flourishing reefs. They also
learned much about man's interactions, most commonly
seen as environmental impacts, and what they could do as
responsible citizens to alter the negative
responses.
"Learning by Doing" is the motto of
LCF's programming, and the students did just that.
Beyond daily snorkels, kayaking and sailing excursions,
the participants initiated an ongoing beach clean-up
campaign for every site they encountered. The students
were also responsible for developing a project geared
toward teaching others about the importance of the
marine environment. As the project had to be
interactive, many were produced in a game format that
will later be transferred to the Internet or published
for use in our local schools. The climax of their
community efforts was the additions to our artificial
reef project. A total of 16 additional Reef Balls were
added to the Visitor's Center Reef Discovery Site during
the course of the summer sessions.
All in all,
the LCF Summer 2000 Reef Restoration Programs were a
grand success, with stellar performances from all that
participated. What will they remember about these
islands beyond being mesmerized by the colors of the
sea? Yes, the Turks & Caicos are truly beautiful by
nature, but even more, that they are a place where good
things actually do come to pass.
For all those
that shared in this endeavor, stand up and take a bow.
You are the future ambassadors of this planet and you
deserve a standing ovation for your talented and
heartfelt efforts.
Encore! Encore!
The
timing for completion of the Visitor's Center Reef
Discovery Site is reliant upon obtaining more financial
and physical assistance for the project. Participant
programs are a prime example of how people can become
actively involved in reef conservation efforts. The
Reefball Coalition, in local partnership with the author
of this article, Marsha Pardee Woodring, is actively
pursuing the development of other such programs.
Meanwhile, Living Classrooms Foundation has already
begun planning their Summer 2001 debut.
Proposals
have been written to solicit sponsors for local schools
in short "workshop style" programs, where kids can be
literally immersed in reef conservation. Donors are also
being sought to finance trail markers that will add the
educational component to the underwater artificial reef.
Those who wish to assist in any of the above goals
should contact the author via the information
below.
Marsha Pardee Woodring can be reached at
Phone/FAX 649-946-5578 or at e-mail: mardee@tciway.tc.
<Back
| | | |