reef ball technology


 

The world's most-used and well-known designed reef and related ecosystem technology, components and systems
- for good reasons:

RBF_Divider-B-W2_Long

 


 

Goliath Reef Ball Mold - Borneo

the reef ball mold system:

light, easily stacked, shipped and can be assembled with basic tools:
reef ball fiberglass molds are one of the reasons reef ball projects can be done
almost anywhere in the world.


Inside the Reef Ball mold with tether balls - Borneo

another simple solution involving
easily obtained or shipped materials:

buoys and tether balls make the voids...


Inflating Polyform buoy in Reef Ball


Layer Cake - Antigua a layer cake

...unless it's a layer cake reef ball

in which case they're made with sand, which is everywhere.
watch Mike Rowe make a layer cake reef ball on "Dirty Jobs"

DirtyJobs

reef ball concrete additives and specifications

result in concrete that is balanced to the pH of seawater
- encouraging organism settlement -
and hardened to last 500 years...

see reef ball concrete specs.




Reef Ball surface texture - Sarawak, Borneo

...and special techniques

create surface texturing further aiding
in organism settlement.


Reef Ball surface texture - Sarawak, Borneo

Reef Ball after tsunami
Reef ball unmoved before (L) and after (R) 2004 tsunami

Reef Ball stability model

reef balls are extremely stable

due to their weight distribution and vortex action through the ball which forces them down in rough seas: even un-anchored.
a variety of anchoring options can be incorporated into the finished balls.

Driving in Reef Ball anchors


Small boat towing Goliath Reef Ball in Provo

Raft Reef Ball deployment Thailand after Tsunami


Crane deployment of Reef Balls in Whittier, Alaska

deployment can be accomplished by

barge, small boat, raft, carrying, swimming, rolling...


Rolling a Reef Ball in the Dominican Republic

Antigua barge deployment

Goliath Ball with Polyform buoy

they are just positively buoyant

when the Polyform buoy is reinserted and inflated.
watch 5000 lbs of concrete float  =>


Staghorn nursery tree Salt River NOAA

Fragmenting soft corals

coral transplantation and propagation

- of either rescued, imperiled corals or corals grown in approved nurseries only -
is achieved through plug bases and matching receptacles incorporated into the reef balls during casting, and secured through tested and proven marine epoxy and hydraulic cement techniques

Designed reef technology Coral_collecting

Caribbean elkhorn coral plug

Coral Planting Cayman Islands


Reef Ball coral table near the reef

the coral table is where plugs
are made

prior to transplant or storing in nurseries and can be either floating or stationary and nearby the destined location

Designed reef technology Coral_Table

Floating coral table in Thailand

Working the coral table Grand Cayman Marriott

Lake Zürich, Switzerland
Zeeland, Netherlands

designed reef technology ...for a variety of uses and applications:

coral, deep water, oysters, erosion, anti-trawling, cold water, habitat, fresh water, coral rescue, salt water, temperate water, estuaries, sea walls, mangroves, tropical water, recreation, fishing...

Kelp Forest, Santa Barbara

with over 10 sizes, multiple styles and endless variability with each module

reef balls can be adapted for almost any need
Designed reef technology Reef Ball Sizes


ReefBuildingOverview

EcoRap2

and now

EcoRap


EcoRap_Algae