Turning Rubble to Reef in the Mackay Whitsundays
The Turning Rubble to Reef in the Mackay Whitsundays (Rubble to Reef) project seeks to install concrete Habitat Reef (HR) modules to emulate natural fish habitat in the Mackay offshore marine environment. HR modules are increasingly used to improve and restore reef ecosystems worldwide.
The Mackay region features one of the largest tidal variations across Australia’s eastern coast and has a very active fishing population. Fishing spots in the coastal environment can suffer from over-use and an additional fishing attraction would diversify and ease the pressure on natural reefs. 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
Therefore, the overarching objectives of this project are:
- increase the extent of fish habitat
- increase the extent of available invertebrate settlement surfaces
- increase the diversity and abundance of recreationally important fish species at the deployment sites
- increase the engagement with recreational fishers in activities which promote the long-term sustainability of the industry
- make available data on the design effectiveness of HR modules to assist in upscaling this project
The HR modules have been specially designed to facilitate the settlement of encrusting marine organisms and provide refuge habitat for both small and large-bodied marine species. Key design features include:
- Roughened exterior surface for coral attachment
- Provision of separated chambers for fish of different size classes
- Small refuge holes for small and juvenile fish species
- Large cave compartment for adult, predatory fish species
The installation of HR modules, which offer protection for a variety of marine organisms as well as roughened surfaces for coral growth, will enable the expansion of coral reef habitat into otherwise bare areas of the marine environment.
