It is widely accepted that coral reef systems are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. The organisms that provide the foundation for that system are the corals themselves, along with many other benthic (bottom-dwelling) species. This remarkable “engineering” capability is due to the ability for these benthic species to secure themselves to a particular physical structure and thrive under very specific conditions. As conditions worsen in the marine environment, benthic organisms lose their capability of building such physical structure. This combined with the elimination of these ecosystems through coastal dredging and trawling, stress the need for understanding how additional measures can be taken to “recreate” the natural reef system. In this study, 6 “artificial” reef sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico were compared to one another to clarify the factors that influence benthic settlement on artificial structures. Each site was documented using quadrat photographs, with images of the settlement surface for each structure being taken from each aspect of each structure (N, S, E, W, TOP). Artificial reef sites were then grouped according to two distinct arrangement styles: (1) Four cubes grouped closely together (“clumped”), and (2) two groups of two cubes, separated by the width of approximately one cube (“paired”). Sites were compared according to the benthic community diversity on N, S, E, W, and T settlement surfaces.
Results/Conclusions
Initial results indicate that benthic diversity differed significantly from one another according to the aspect of the settlement surface (p = 0.00183). Initial results also indicate that the arrangement of cubes does not produce a significant difference in community diversity (p = 0.36853), and there is no significant interaction between these two factors (p = 0.14458). This study builds upon a growing body of information related to the factors contributing to benthic community structure, providing critical insight for the manufacturing and implementation of artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and worldwide.