Note: These domes are non-authorized copies of Reef Balls so the quality and performance of these units is not certified by the Reef Ball Foundation. However, we have tried to offer guidence to the project leaders to make the best use of the materials available to them for this project....
Tuna City Scuba Center at present has an ongoing Artificial Reef Project which was started on the 17th April 05. This project will help to restore damaged coral areas of reef and also construct new areas of reef where none existed before!
Environmentally friendly concrete domes are constructed and deployed on the sea bed from 12 to 50 feet deep! Holes are set in the outer shell of the domes in order to give access to the hollow center of the domes where fish and other forms of marine creatures can have habitat and hide from larger predators!
Holes are predrilled on the outer shell of the dome in which coral transplants can be set; this is proving that corals can easily be transplanted direct without any special preparation! Soft corals have managed to attach themselves to the domes in as little as two weeks from the domes being set in the water! Many other forms of marine organisms are already attaching themselves to the outer surface, some to survive while some are food for other creatures!
Many fish are taking up habitat in and around the domes especially on sandy areas where there was no cover before the domes were set!
To break up the standard shape of a dome we add what we call extensions! These are concrete pieces of random size and shape which also have transplant holes drilled in them. These are very effective and can be transferred to new domes once growth has started!
The domes are of a size which can be moved into position by a single diver and can be stacked and set together to form a reef of any shape and size. Most artificial reef projects need heavy lifting gear to set the reef modules, with only manpower required to move our domes makes great savings on costs!
This project is totally non profit, all donations from Clubs, Business and private individuals go to construct the domes, all transport to site, labor to get the domes in the water and divers to set the domes on the sea bed are all voluntary by a small group of dedicated people who want to restore the reefs back to their original form!
To Date, 10th November 05 We Have Set 868 Artificial Reef Domes In The Water!
