After 30 Years, World’s Largest Artificial Reef Finally Thriving in San Diego
After 30 Years, World's Largest Artificial Reef Finally Thriving in San Diego Governing
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The artificial reef aims to replenish marine life eradicated by a nuclear power plant’s water cooling system. The plant has now been shut for more than a decade, giving the aquatic ecosystems time to rebuild.
Introduction
An artificial reef off the coast of San Diego, built to offset marine life killed by the seawater cooling system at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, is finally doing its job, now that the power plant has been shut down for more than a decade.
The reef is essentially an anchor for giant kelp, which grows tall and thick to create the forests of the sea. A form of brown algae, the kelp reaches from the sea floor to the surface, creating a shady tower of shelter for all kinds of fish, spiny lobsters, sea otters, sea lions, sometimes whales and even birds.
Kelp forests provide a habitat for important commercial species of fish such as black rockfish and kelp bass. The slightly slimy ocean vegetable also is used to make a number of human products including shampoo, toothpaste, pharmaceuticals and food.
Background
Scientists knew early on that the nuclear power plant’s cooling system would stir up the ocean and degrade nearby kelp beds. They also knew it would vacuum up small fish. However, it took them years of study and collaboration to determine the full effects, design a plan to compensate for that loss, and tailor the plan for the desired results.
Reef Performance
The Wheeler North Reef project met its required performance standards for things such as kelp growth and fish production for the first time during the past three years, according to the California Coastal Commission. Now the reef just needs to keep up the good work for an additional 27 years.
Reef Monitoring
As a result of the reef’s recent success, this month the commission unanimously approved a program to reduce monitoring, which will save the utility time and money. Instead of monitoring a total of 233 locations across the reef, the utility will be required to check only 166 locations beginning this year.
A representative of the Surfrider Foundation said that perhaps it is too soon to scale back oversight.
Commission officials said they are confident that the reduced monitoring will be adequate and that it will be returned to former levels if any problems are found.
Construction and Expansion
The reef is named for Wheeler J. North, a marine biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the California Institute of Technology. North, who died in 2002, was noted for his studies of California’s coastal kelp forests.
His namesake reef is north of the power plant, a half-mile offshore and from 38 feet to 50 feet deep, extending 2.5 miles from San Mateo Point to the San Clemente Pier. It’s built entirely of rock mined from a quarry and pushed off a barge into the ocean.
Initially, the Coastal Commission required a 150-acre reef to be built of low-lying boulders in the ocean north of the power plant near San Clemente. First, plant operator Southern California Edison built a 23-acre experimental reef and monitored it for five years, Then, based on the results obtained from the experimental reef, Edison completed an additional 152 acres of reef in 2008. However, the larger reef failed to produce the expected amount of fish, based on estimates of fish populations before the plant was built and compared to two similar natural reefs nearby. As a result, the commission required Edison to build an additional 193 acres, creating what Edison and the State Lands Commission say at a total of 373 acres in all is the largest artificial reef in the world.
Monitoring Process
Divers collect data from specific locations, known as transects, to monitor the reef’s production. That data is compared to data for two natural reefs nearby in the region, but outside the influence of the power plant.
Each transect measures 3 meters wide, 15 meters long, and 1.5 meters up from the bottom. Initially, the transects were marked with cables anchored into the rock, but today divers use GPS coordinates to find them.
With the information collected the past three years, along with the previous cumulative results, the reef has met its production standards for a total of five years, according to the commission. Now it needs 27 additional years of continued satisfactory marine life production to meet the commission’s requirement.
Conclusion
After the results are achieved, the reef probably will remain in place. No further monitoring will be required under Edison’s permit from the commission.
“To me, it’s a success,” said Dan Reed, a research biologist at the University of California Santa Barbara’s Marine Research Institute. “We get giant seabass through there … weighing 400 to 500 pounds, white sharks. It’s a functioning reef.”
The area is completely open to the public, and during lobster season, it’s one of the most popular spots for lobster fishing along the Southern California coast.
Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 14: Life Below Water – The artificial reef contributes to the restoration and conservation of marine life, providing a habitat for various species and promoting biodiversity.
- Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The closure of the nuclear power plant has eliminated the negative impact of its cooling system on the marine environment, allowing for the recovery of aquatic ecosystems.
- Goal 15: Life on Land – The thriving kelp forests on the artificial reef support terrestrial life, such as sea otters, sea lions, and birds, creating a balanced ecosystem.
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The kelp harvested from the reef is used in the production of various consumer products, promoting sustainable and responsible use of marine resources.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 14: Life Below Water | Target 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems | Indicator 14.2.1: Proportion of national exclusive economic zones managed using ecosystem-based approaches |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems | Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area |
Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 14: Life Below Water
- SDG 15: Life on Land
The article discusses the artificial reef off the coast of San Diego, which aims to replenish marine life eradicated by a nuclear power plant’s water cooling system. This directly relates to SDG 14, which focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources. Additionally, the article mentions the importance of kelp forests and their role in providing habitat for fish and other marine species. This connects to SDG 15, which aims to ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems
- Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems
The article highlights the efforts to restore and sustainably manage the marine ecosystem through the artificial reef. This aligns with Target 14.2 under SDG 14. Additionally, the mention of kelp forests and their importance for marine life conservation relates to Target 15.1 under SDG 15.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator 14.2.1: Proportion of national exclusive economic zones managed using ecosystem-based approaches
- Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area
The article does not explicitly mention these indicators. However, the success of the artificial reef in restoring marine life and the growth of kelp forests can be used as indicators to measure progress towards Target 14.2 and Target 15.1, respectively.
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: governing.com
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