Strong storms lead to artificial reef breakup and debris along shoreline

"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."

Storm debris still washes up on Bogue beaches | bogue, debris, storm - Jacksonville Daily News:
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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."

Ocean City Maryland News | OC MD Newspapers | Maryland Coast Dispatch - Storm Broke Radford in Two Pieces:

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Artificial reefs: the effects are obvious but are they beneficial?

An article by Sara Bennington in the Blue Planet Magazine, Summer 2003 notes that while it may seem obvious that artificial reefs are good for fish, the truth may be a little more complicated.

"...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 can
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."

Artificial reefs can also be detrimental to the existing habitat.

“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.”

Sara Bennington, Blue Planet Magazine, Summer 2003