REEF BALL
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"We need to respect the oceans and take care of them
as if our lives depended on it.
Because they do."
~ Sylvia Earle
the Reef Ball Foundation is a winner in
the 2025 Anthem Awards!
Winner of the Silver Award in the Sustainability, Environment & Climate: Special Projects category.
The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities.
For other Foundation awards and recognition see here.
REEF BALL
aquatic preservation education designed reef & related ecosystems
Take a Three Minute Tour of What We Do.
who we are
The Reef Ball Foundation is an international non-profit foundation whose mission is to rehabilitate and protect our world's ocean ecosystems through the development and use of ecologically sound-designed reefs and related systems. We emphasize on-going research, public education, community involvement, and reefs that promote and support natural species diversity and population density.
designed reefs
World ocean systems are at a tipping point and one stark indicator is a worldwide decline of reefs. Sadly, 20% of the world's coral reefs have effectively been destroyed and it's estimated that 24% of the remaining are under imminent risk. A further 26% are under longer-term threat of collapse.
Reefs matter for us and for the environment in countless ways and designed reefs are useful tools for restoring our reefs and related systems to a natural and productive balance.
why reef balls
Reef Balls are the world's leading designed artificial reef modules because they are simply the most effective way to create sustainable aquatic habitat and achieve it in a safe, long term, environmentally compatible way.
Reef Ball modules are designed to mimic natural reefs. These basic modules and related adaptations using Reef Ball technology are the backbone of our restoration and protection efforts and are by far the most-used and recognized designed reef structure in the world. Reef Balls are ideally suited for a wide-range of aquatic habitats even when used in engineering applications.
Find out how reef Balls are used, about their success and what you can do with Reef Ball and in your everyday life to help.
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FEATURED PROJECT UPDATES
see archived projects here
New Partner in Marine Restoration - Abyss Vanuatu
Moso Island, Vanuatu
March 1, 2026
Abyss Vanuatu is happy to be partnering with Reef Ball Foundation to create improved coastal habitats in Vanuatu, improving both fisheries recovery and fishing enhancement zones to improve food security for many local villages in the area. Volunteers will be able to help donate and support by becoming involved in the manufacturing and deployment into our allocated enhancement zones.
Welcome!
Oysters Galore! in Palmetto Bay
Manatee County, Florida
February 27, 2026
With 300+ Reef Balls the 23-acre Palmetto Bay Oyster Restoration Project has made significant progress in improving water quality and recruiting oysters and a plethora of other underwater organisms in the Manatee River. Now about three years in, project biological investigator Lasso de la Vega said the team sees organisms like stone crabs, blue crabs, spadefish and other types of fish thriving alongside the Reef Balls on which sponges, barnacles and oysters live.
“The progress so far of this project is humungous,” Palmetto CRA Director Rowena Young said. “We literally have knocked this one out of the park.”
Tampa Bay Oyster Reef Makes News
Tierra Verde, FLA
Jan 10, 2026
Meteorologist Jason Adams of Tampa Bay 28 helped volunteers on a Tampa Bay Watch project, pointing out that oyster population globally has dropped 85-90% over the past 20 years. TBW’s Richard Radigan explained, “In addition to saving our coastlines from erosion which then results in the loss of... coastal marsh and coastal plants that serve as habitat for a large number of species that are terrestrial and avian the oyster Reef Balls actually help serve as habitat for the eastern oyster as well other smaller fish that may use these Reef Balls as refuge and breeding grounds,”
One oyster-colonized Reef Ball can filter over 50,000 gallons a day, leading to water quality improvement for both humans and wildlife that call it home.
Monitoring Report from Mayreau!
Mayreau / Grenadines
Jan 9, 2026
"We got our first monitoring report from our WeAre Mayreau project with Clear Caribbean. The Reef Balls look remarkable for this early on! The project is expanding with Richmond Vale Academy getting even more molds and supplies to do a parallel project on St. Vincent!" - Todd Barber RBF Founder and Chairman
25+ Years of Success!
North Minahasa Regency, Indonesia
Dec, 2025
A New Book, "Artificial Reef (Reef Ball) A Coral Restoration Alternative" by Jerry W. Kojansow, et al, reveals from experience in Tanjung Ratatotok, North Minahasa from 1999 - 2001 the success and efficacy of Reef Balls in quickly establishing coral colonization and full-reef habitat creation and maintenance for a wide range of marine biota.
The book details the application techniques for Reef Balls, including monitoring and research methods for coral and associated biota, and shows that Reef Balls are a proven method for coral restoration, particularly in areas with high land-based anthropogenic activity.
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