By JULIAN LOCKHART
Environmental Education Officer for Friends of the Environment
Coral Reefs are vital to the Abacos as far as protection from storm surges during hurricanes, to enhancing the economy through dive and snorkel groups visiting our shores and local fisherman having a means of securing their daily catch.
Thanks to support from the Lyford Cay Foundation, Friends of the Environment was able to purchase two reef ball molds, from which reef balls can be constructed. In mid-September, under the tutelage of The Reef Ball Foundation (RBF), four reef balls were successfully constructed, getting the program off to a great start.
Now that the organization is trained, Friends of the Environment, along with the students from Abaco schools, are hoping to construct over 100 reef balls to create a snorkel trail at Mermaid Reef. FRIENDS successfully applied to the Port Department to has permission to place the balls at Mermaid reef.
The idea was proposed to FRIENDS by local dive operator Tim Higgs, of Abaco Dive Adventures, and supported by FRIENDS Board member Jim Richard. Together they built the first two reef balls of the project.
Other board members of Friends of the Environment, with the help of Todd Barber (Chairman of the RBF) and Kathy Kirbo (Executive Director of the RBF) dropped two more reef balls into position off the shore of Marsh Harbour by Mermaid Reef on Sunday, September, 16th.
Kirbo said after a grueling weekend that: “The coral that we saw off Abaco is very healthy but it is important as the island starts to become populated with more fisherman and divers you run the risk of having more problems. So a snorkel trail like we built at Mermaid Reef helps take the pressure off the natural reef and by doing the transplants it helps preserve the species.
“It creates more homes for the fish and other marine life. We had to do a site survey, but I think they are needed to restore the fish habitat and to help maintain the coral species. In order for the fish to be healthy they need a strong reef system,” Kirbo added.
This project will help the community in so many different ways as well as help the students learn about their environment, the construction of the reefs, why reefs are important to the Bahamas and what is needed to help and preserve coral reefs for future generations to come.
Barber said the building of the reef balls can help the school children learn math in how much cement compared to the other ingredients is needed, learn a trade in building the balls to marine biology in the use of the reef balls and how they affect the marine ecosystems around them.
“It is very important because so many of Abaco’s kids have not had the opportunity to snorkel or see a coral reef and without that experience it would be impossible for them to understand why they are important to the Bahamas and why they need to be protected,” said Lindsey McCoy, Executive Director of Friends of the Environment.
“This will give the kids ownership of the Mermaid Reef area, that they have helped enhance it. We hope that they will then help protect it from their friends standing on the reefs or throwing trash overboard, McCoy added.
Barber said it building artificial reefs out of cement is not easy and is a lot of work and Kirbo’s body proved this with bruises everywhere.
However, the weekend project was a success with the hard work of all the individuals involved and Mermaid Reef now has the development of a snorkel trail for future generations to enjoy.
The construction of a reef ball starts with a mold, which is made of fiber glass, and then a special concrete mixture is used so it can last longer, it is stronger, it doesn’t leach out into the water and has a similar PH balance to salt water.
A marine buoy (bladder) is placed in the middle of the mold to create a hollow centre and then tether balls (like volleyballs) are added around the outside. These tether balls create the vortex holes in the reef balls where fish and other marine life make their homes.
Coral adaptors are added so when parts of existing reefs are attached to the mold they can propagate themselves. The concrete is poured onto the mold and it sits for 24 hours and then the molds are opened and a reef ball is formed.
Eighty percent of the weight is on the bottom of the reef ball to so it is very stable during hurricanes and storms.
The RBF is an international environmental non-profit organization that restores coral reefs and marine habitats and provides educational opportunities for the preservation of the ocean ecosystems and Barber said they were more than happy to work with Friends of the Environment on this project.
Kirbo said: “The purpose is to restore marine habitat and coral reefs. Also we expanded it from the beginning to be a break water to restore beaches and for mangrove restoration.
“If you have beautiful and healthy reefs, people will want to come and snorkel and dive here and if the reefs are healthy it brings more fish for the fisherman. If you have a strong shallow reef system it provides a barrier during storms and hurricanes. It is being found that places that have stronger reef systems less lives were loss during hurricanes and tidal waves,” Kirbo added.
