"The accumulation of marine life attracts animals that will not be interested in the structure but i the food that is accumulating within and around it. However, some wrecks may have slowly ‘leaked’ toxic materials into the environment – which is why it is crucial that deliberate wrecks are very thorughly cleaned of all toxic materials."Argyll News: The SMART question: to reef or not to reef? | For Argyll:
"Clean-up has continued this week after a second wave of tires, once used in building artificial reefs, appeared along the island’s shoreline following Hurricane Katia, which stayed well offshore but kicked up heavy surf along the North Carolina coast.
A piece of an old aircraft, also possibly from an artificial reef, was hauled away this week after washing up on the beach at Emerald Isle after Hurricane Irene."
An estimated 700 to 800 tires, believed to be from an artificial reef, washed ashore, with most concentrated in an area between Fort Macon and Indian Beach, according to a division news release.http://www.enctoday.com/news/tires-94481-jdn-beach-division.html
"Less than two months after the Radford was ceremoniously sunk to the bottom, recent dives on the vessel confirmed it has already broken in two large pieces, likely caused by cracks and tears during it settling and accelerated by the effects of Hurricane Irene, which blew through the area at the end of August."
"...Swarming fish at one site doesn't automatically equal a healthy ecosystem. "If you draw fish populations away from their natural habitat, then you have to ask if that is
having an effect on an adjacent population."
"The concentrating effect of an artificial reef canArtificial reefs can also be detrimental to the existing habitat.
make it easier for fishermen to catch fish and lead to overfishing. In
addition to exposing them to human predators, these reefs can also
attract ocean predators that prey on these aggregations of smaller
fish that wouldn't be gathered if the artificial reefs weren't there."
“To some people, it appears that a sandy ocean bottom is a wasteland with no value, so a reef would create a wonderful habitat,” Powell says. What people aren’t taking into account is that the sandy bottom is a natural habitat supporting ocean life. “Many artificial reefs are being put in place with little thought of how they affect the habitat that was originally there.”
"...(T)he silt, mostly iodized iron, found within wrecks can easily be kicked up by divers"Last week's tragedy was third since '07 at our artificial reefs for divers
read more
“The Obama Administration’s new plan to recycle these four aircraft carriers appears to be a signal that the Administration may be correcting long-standing misguided policies that not only squander resources, but American jobs as well,” said Colby Self, BAN’s Green Ship Recycling Campaign director.
Breakup of three ships within 6 months to one year resulted in closure, temporaryread more (in pdf format)
closure of the reefing sites to diving or warnings of significantly increased diving
hazards. (Appendices C, D. E)
Andrew Strang, of the Save Halkett Bay Campaign, said his group is shocked by the news, because last year the B.C. parks branch rejected the proposal, stating in a Nov. 4, 2010, letter to ARSBC that the ship could not be sunk without changes to the park master plan, which would require public consultation.read more
"What concerns me is that we might be changing this ecology before we even understand it."
" debris is washing up on the shore, the helicopter hanger has detached from the vessel and it has basically turned into a giant battery under the water."read more here
The BAN report, "Jobs and Dollars Overboard: The Economic Case against Dumping U.S. Naval Vessels at Sea," details economic advantages of dismantling obsolete vessels for recycling, including jobs, the avoidance of externalized costs of pollution, damage to the environment and climate, as well as the conservation of metals resources.read more
"Artificial reefs have evolved from previously just a mentality of dumping any sort of surplus material, be it boats or even tyres, in the marine environment to create extra habitat,"
Next spring’s sinking of the USS Arthur W. Radford will pollute the ocean with toxic waste, cost Americans jobs and hurt marine life by attracting fish to one area where they will be over-harvested, according to a report by the Basel Action Network, a national nonprofit group that focuses on environmental and trade issues.read more....
