Artificial reefs provide or improve rough bottom habitat and offer fishery scientists and administrators an effective technique to conserve and develop coastal fishery resources. With careful planning and organized efforts, local reef committees can build reefs to improve fishing and contribute to the recreational and financial growth of coastal communities. Advice and procedures are presented for: 1) selecting construction materials, 2) determining a suitable reef site, 3) obtaining permits, 4) buoying the reef, and 5) preparing, transporting, and placing reef-building materials. Included in appendixes are instructions for preparing permits, addresses of Federal and State agencies involved in approving or funding reef construction, and addresses of manufacturers of materials and equipment.

In this book fisheries biologists, ecologists, limnologists, oceanographers, aquatic resource managers and planners, commercial fisherman and environmental scientists are offered information on the latest artificial fishing reef designs, siting and placement methods, and ecological research as well as an overview of current united states legislation and regulations.

Artificial habitats have been used for centuries to successfully modify environments for the benefit of Man. In the aquatic environment, the use of artificial habitat technologies is of growing interest worldwide. Opportunities exist in both developed and developing nations to apply these technologies in many areas, including classical scientific investigations of ecosystem structure and function, engineering advances in underwater technology, and fisheries and environmental management. The applications of artificial habitat technologies are taking on ever greater economic, social, and environmental importance globally, not only in developed countries such as Japan where highly sophisticated technologies are used, but also in developing nations, where lower cost practices are in use. There is growing pressure to increase production, while at the same time preserve or enhance the environments and ecosystems surrounding fisheries. This book provides a comprehensive review of the facts, issues, and global trends emerging regarding the use of artificial habitats in aquatic ecosystems. It presents the most recent scientific advances in ecology and engineering technologies related to the building of artificial habitats, and it also presents many of the fisheries management and socioeconomic and environmental issues. Artificial Habitats for Marine and Freshwater Fisheries will be of interest to a broad audience including natural resource scientists, planners, and managers, particularly those interested in aquatic and fisheries science and management; organizations and individuals interested in commercial and recreational fishing; ecologists; environmental economists, engineers, lawyers, and social scientists; and geographers. - Presents a global scope - Draws together, for the first time, disparate literature - Contains contributions by authors in the United States and Japan - Features engineering chapters that focus on Japanese advanced technology often not available to the English language audience