Turning Rubble to Reef in the Mackay Whitsundays
In an effort to restore fish habitat, 30 Habitat Reef (HR) modules have been installed in Mackay’s coastal waters as part of the Turning Rubble to Reef in the Mackay Whitsundays (Rubble to Reef) project.
The Rubble to Reef project was designed with the intent of improving Reef resilience by addressing four main threats:
- Loss of natural Reef ecosystems due to strike impacts, cyclones, bleaching, etc.
- Lack of connected vertical relief substrate to facilitate recolonisation of coral reefs
- Fishing pressure on natural reefs
- Loss of complex juvenile habitat
The HR modules have been purpose-built, manufactured locally by Batrosa Concrete Products. Primarily serving as fish habitats, the HR modules provide refuge habitat for both small and large-bodied marine species through the provision of refuge holes and a cave compartment at the base of the structure. Designed with a roughened exterior surface, the HR modules are also specifically crafted to encourage the settlement of marine sessile organisms such as corals.
The HR modules will be monitored for the next 30 years, with a focus on assessing fish abundance and diversity, structural stability, invasive species, and marine debris. The monitoring timeframe is as follows:
- Year 1: two rounds of monitoring
- Years 2-5: one round of monitoring annually
- Years 6-30: one round of monitoring every 5 years
This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Fisheries Habitat Restoration Program and delivered through the Regional Land Partnerships model.
