View Our Case Studies
View Our Case Studies
Project: Breaker + Living Shoreline
Location: Palm Bay, Florida
Project Partner: Marine Resource Council
Before
45 Days
100 Days
Present
Marine Resources Council at the TED Moorehead Lagoon House called us for 150 feet of breakwater placement in front of their shell midden, an archaeological site. This project was on a very tight schedule as their permit was set to expire & their previous vendor had failed to deliver – therefore we had 60 days. 60 days to have new permits, manufacture, deliver, and install. During the project, we produced 37 of our 1200# units and were installed in 3 sections and placed 10’ from shore. The structures were all placed via a barge-free, manually deployment system dubbed the “Low Profile Deployment System”.
This system allowed us to deploy our sections with 6 men across 4 days. We were thankful for this project was eligible for a DEP permit exemption and received an USACE permit quickly. The breakwater project was successful with our March 2024 deployment. Continual post-deployment monitoring is conducted by Marine Resources Council for the sediment accretion, benthic infauna, seagrasses, and oyster observations. Sediment accretion has reach as high as 16” thick in some area and expanding property. No scouring has taken place at the project area. Therefore! Mangroves have been planted behind the Reef Arches turning into a living shoreline. This project was a tremendous success as proof of our effectiveness in hurricane recovery and incredible shoreline restoration.
Location Fort Pierce, FL – Project Partner: Sponge Recruitment Images
At this location, we were able to place a Reef Arch unit in the respective location to test what species attract to the structure and how the water utilizes Flow-Through Technology. As you can see in the pictures, the material used was successful in recruiting marine life in approx. 4 months. Stone crabs was observed using the structure as a shelter during the test. IN terms of species, we identified several sponges above and underneath the Reef Arch which indicated that Flow-Through Technology and light were present throughout the test. This is a major component in a forming complex reef ecosystems. This test gave us confidence that Reef Arch design provides critical structure for key species & provides additional environmental value as an engineered product. Stone crab habitat is important as “Florida Stone Crab Fishery makes up 99% of all stone crab landings in the United States” as per FWC.
Coral Restoration
Location: West Palm Beach
Project Partner: COX Science Center
Fortunately, COX Science Center has confirmed that our material are safe for growing stony coral & leather. This is a huge step forward. You can see in the tanks that there are no harmful chemicals hurting the corals and that our inserts can be used for coral out-planting. Similar to "Adopt A Brick" in college, you can "Adopt A Coral" and place our coral inserts directly into the Reef Arch. This means that Reef Arches can become the world's first instant barrier reef. We want to thanks COX Science Center for their time in taking strides alongside us in restoring Florida's coral reefs.
For background, coral restoration and coral bleaching is paramount to the restoration of our ecosystem. Not only do reefs provide habitats but they also drive ecotourism, support fisheries, and even protect your shoreline.
You've heard of the term "a barrier reef", but what is the barrier for? That is for wave energy, this is why small islands are able to survive from constant wave action on the shores. These barrier reefs used to be covered with gorgeous coral that also reduce wave energy significantly, but with coral bleaching and lack of structure it is difficult for our reef systems to bounce back. With Reef Arches, we are at the forefront of reef restoration at scale.
Marine Growth
Location: Fort Pierce + Palm Bay
Project Partner: Private
These pictures illustrate the answer to a question, " Is there enough water flow, light, and structure for species to thrive; if so, what are these species and what does it indicate". First off, we observed a stone crab that tucked itself underneath the unit as shelter. That was great to see stone crabs selecting our place as refuge, but they almost took our thumb!
The sponges and various species here were exciting to see. One, that the material was safe for these species to adhere too. Second, that there was ample surface area for a mosaic of species to call home. Lastly, this was evidence of continuous flow of water able to move nutrients throughout the unit. This is very exciting because it's how you build an ecosystem!
You can also observe the awesome amount of oysters that called Reef Arches home directly on the unit! This was natural spat recruitment after 4 months post-deployment. We were really happy to see the recruitment and eventual water quality impacts it will have at the project site. Did you know that oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day!?