Military's 'Reefense' Project: Artificial Reefs for U.S. Shoreline Protection

Protecting Coastal Military Infrastructure

• 🛡️ The U.S. Department of Defense is developing artificial reefs as a sustainable solution to protect over 1,700 coastal military bases and installations.
• ⚠️ Hurricane Michael in 2018 devastated Tyndall Air Force Base, causing over $5 billion in damages, highlighting the need for better storm damage protection.

How Artificial Reefs Work

• 🌊 The Reefense project designs porous concrete structures with numerous holes that dissipate wave energy, creating calm water behind them.
• 🧱 Unlike traditional solid breakwaters that reflect waves and can cause erosion, these porous reefs absorb and dissipate wave impact.

Self-Sustaining Reef Systems

• 🌱 The artificial reefs incorporate an organic, biological component, using oysters in temperate waters and corals in tropical waters.
• 🛠️ These organisms grow on the porous structures, eventually forming natural reefs that require less maintenance than traditional breakwaters.
• 🌍 This approach aims to jumpstart natural reef systems, leveraging the known coastal protection benefits of natural coral reefs.

Test Projects and Civilian Applications

• 📊 A 50-meter test reef installed off Tyndall Air Force Base in November has shown positive data, confirming the structures work as intended through winter storms.
• 💡 The technology has potential for civilian infrastructure protection, with a focus on making installation costs comparable to traditional breakwaters and maintenance costs significantly lower.