Services
Dredging Mitigation
Sustainable Oceans International Pty Ltd (SOI) recognises that there is an increasing awareness and demand for primary and compensatory restoration when important habitats such as reefs are impacted by dredging.
>>Click here to download our dredge mitigation capability statement outlining how we can help you mitigate impacts on reefs
Industry bodies such as the International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) promote and support better practices and they recently launched their fact sheet "Dredging Around Coral Reefs" which we highly recommend.
SOI has been established to specifically help infrastructure projects satisfy reef restoration or compensation demands.
For example we help you in the planning phase by identifying options to reduce impacts (or compensate for impacts) and we prepare a coral management plan that helps expedite your permit application and outlines in detail how corals will be saved and any recommended compensation measures.
SOI is the only company that provides a range of proven technologies for the task.
We can ‘rescue’ important coral colonies that are within the dredge impact footprint and relocate them to an appropriate safe area, or we can construct designed artificial reefs to replace lost structure and/or compensate for ecological services lost.
Our specialty is finding ways to reduce impacts your dredging may have on reefs or to repair or offset impacts that have occurred.
SOI works closely with your team to evaluate your Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Environmental Management Plans (EMP) and relevant project limitations to develop cost effective strategies to reduce or restore marine impacts to reefs.
We have worked directly for permitting agencies, environmental impact consultancies and major engineering consultancies therefore bring an understanding of each side’s needs.
We provide customised services to meet your needs, as well as:
- Detailed site surveys to quantify the potential or actual damage to reefs
- Preparation of mitigation plans for environmental approval / permits
- Independent reviews and advice for Environmental Management Plans (EMP), Best Management Practice (BMP) and/or Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)
- Coral relocation and propagation
- Coral reef restoration and/or enhancement
- Designed artificial reefs to compensate for loss of natural rocky outcrops or coral reefs, enhance fisheries, enhance seawalls/breakwaters
- Strategic disposal of dredged material to enhance fisheries
- International project management
- Silt curtain design, installation and management
- Marine impact monitoring and reporting
We have demonstrated experience in delivering support for dredging projects – and have even worked within a tight 12-day timeframe to successfully relocate coral reefs out of harms way before a construction project in the Middle East. Read more.
>> Click here to download our dredging services brochure.
>> Click here to download our essential steps for coral reef triage when reefs have been damaged by storms, ship groundings, dredging
The short presentation below outlines a few suggestions of how marinas can be better designed below the waterline to increase, maintain or even enhance marine biodiversity. This is quite straightforward and cost effective to do.
Coastal Development Enhancement
Our key focus is ‘better design below the waterline’ which we believe is an essential component of sustainable design and preventing a decline in aquatic biodiversity often associated with development.
Coastal infrastructure adds significant surface area and physical structure to the sea - yet its rarely designed to support or benefit marine life. We believe the future is in smart design of such structures so that they increase the return on investment by providing surfaces and structure that create opportunities for nature and increase fish stocks and help them become more resilient to exploitation and maintain or even enhance biodiversity.
The International Association of Dredging Contractors (IADC) refers to this concept as 'building with nature'.
Its all about building in a way that also 'creates opportunities for nature'. Coastal housing developments such as those in the Middle East can be designed to become biosanctuaries that actually produce fish for the region.
We can provide design guidelines or products to help you:
- Enhance rock seawalls to increase abundance of a target species, eg. fish, lobster, corals
- Design fish friendly marinas and coastal developments with features below the waterline that enhance biodiversity or recreational value (eg diving, fishing)
- Design features that help offset loss of important habitat due to the development
Excellent progress has been made with sustainable design above the waterline therefore our role is to help you capitalise on better design below the waterline whether it be for meeting regulatory approvals, facilitating permits, corporate responsibility or to increase the project's value to stakeholders, community or environment.
Capitalising upon structure below the waterline is a bit like maximising the value of a basement or underground car park in an office block. Cities would have significant problems if developers didn't maximise the use of land by including below ground assets. And developers would have reduced returns financially if they didn't. Our philosophy is that traditional design of coastal structures is like building an office block and locking away the basement.
Consider us your underwater architects and aquascapers.
We can increase the value of your development by improving the marine environment and services provided or by adding unique underwater features.
We provide customised services to meet your needs, as well as:
- ‘Better design below the waterline’. Recommendations of how coastal infrastructure can be cost effectively designed to increase biodiversity or target species
- Designed artificial reefs to compensate for loss of natural rocky outcrops or coral reefs, enhance fisheries (including recreational fishing reefs), enhance seawalls/breakwaters or jetties
- Independent advice of the feasibility and effectiveness of proposed reef restoration/compensation plans
- Coral relocation and propagation
- Coral reef restoration and/or enhancement
- Marine impact monitoring and reporting
Contact us now to discuss your specific project needs.
Fisheries Enhancement
Sustainable Oceans International Pty Ltd (SOI) provides leading international expertise on the design and construction of artificial reefs as well as the supply of artificial reef modules.
We are unique in that we are licensed contractors for several different designs of artificial reef modules and we custom design modules to suit your specific application.
SOI provides reef design and construction for recreational/commercial fishing reefs, deep water reefs for pelagic fishes, anti-trawl reefs, juvenile habitat enhancement, enhancement of coastal structures, or alternative fishing spots within or near Marine Protected Areas.
When it comes to designing reef units for your specific project, we follow a philosophy of biomimicry and 'innovation inspired by nature' combined with a thorough knowledge of leading published research on artificial reefs. We have our own research contacts within China, Japan, Europe, US and Middle East that provide up to date data on their reef programs.
We believe one of our key advantages is our understanding of fish behaviour and how fish use structure and this is based on diving around the world over the past 20 years as well as watching hundreds of hours of underwater video. When designing a reef for your project, we study natural reefs as well as any artificial structures in the area in order to gain an appreciation for your local ecology and inspiration and design solutions for your constructed reefs.
Our experts have worked with Government, NGO’s, coastal developers and oil industry around the world to provide effective fishing reefs.
We provide customised services to meet your needs, as well as:
- Range of artificial reef modules (15kg to 5+ tonnes) to suit target species and application
- Anti trawl reefs
- Juvenile fish or lobster habitat to increase recruitment or connect deeper reefs
- Recreational or commercial fishing reef design
- Setup of Voluntary No Take Areas in island cultures
- Monitoring – Baited Underwater Video (BUV), otoliths as biomarkers, hydroacoustic surveys for fish biomass
>>Download out Tech Note: the four essential stages in successful artificial reef design
>>Download our Tech Note: Designing Artificial Reefs and Cities - the shared principles
>> Download our Tech Note 4: Explanation of design details for the Wind Tower and Antitrawl reef units
Video showing one of our strategies to designing the layout of reef units on a reef.
Coral Transplantation & Propagation
Our experts have been involved in developing and pioneering coral propagation and transplanting techniques since 1996. We now have a range of proven techniques with greater than 80% survival.
We are not in the business of just moving corals from one location to another. We use our specialist knowledge to reconstruct a productive reef so that maximum benefits are gained for you the client, the community and the environment.
We provide customised services and training to meet your needs, as well as:
- Coral removal and transplantation to rescue corals that are in imminent danger
- Coral transplants and/or propagation to accelerate regrowth and colonization of degraded reefs, artificial reefs or tourist areas
- Setup of sustainable coral propagation programs/nurseries
- Marine Habitat Enhancement of marinas or resorts to increase environmental value and maintain biodiversity
NEW!! Training Available in Reef CPR!
We have a range of proprietary training modules specifically designed for community programs, dive centres, volunteers and tourists that want to reduce impacts to reefs and facilitate recovery. We call it Reef CPR (coral preservation and restoration).
>> Click here to download the Reef CPR flyer
Thousands and thousands of hours are spent by divers underwater that could be spent conducting Reef CPR! Many divers are begging to help save the broken corals they have to swim past and they are willing to pay to be involved. With reefs in such a critical condition around the world, it is crazy to not take advantage of this willing workforce. Therefore every dive centre and resort in a coral area should have key staff that are trained in Reef CPR.
Our unique Reef Recovery Program includes Reef CPR and is the only training course available that combines the science, the art and the business model you need to implement an effective and sustainable reef restoration program.
This program has been designed for resorts and dive centres that need a fun and rewarding reef recovery program that is not only effective but generates its own revenue, therefore reducing financial pressure on you. We have all run our own dive centres and ecotours, therefore we understand your needs as a business owner or manager. We understand the need to maintain or enhance the customer experience, and professional presentation and training.
We customise the program to suit your specific application and objectives and we can help you determine the most important priorities for your area.
We recommend three key steps in our Reef Recovery Program and we can assist you with one of them or all of them.
Step 1 - Identifying and reducing existing reef impacts
Step 2 - Implementing actions that help natural coral recolonisation and survival
Step 3 - Assist recovery by transplanting and/or propagating corals
>> Contact us now to discuss your training needs.
>> Click here to download our Reef CPR flyer
Reef Restoration
Advances in technology and methods now make reef restoration and mitigation of development impacts to reefs feasible in a large number of cases. Our Team have been involved in reef restoration projects in Asia, Middle East, Caribbean and the US.
>> Click here to download our Reef CPR flyer
Restoration strategies need to be cost effective and take into consideration local resources and future management of the area. In some cases it is best to allow natural recovery and we will advise if we believe this is the case.
Funding restoration can be via a range of sources including the tourism industry and we are experienced in identifying opportunities and sustainable funding strategies.
Reefs are one of the most diverse living structures on the planet and reef restoration often requires a range of strategies and technologies. SOI is the only company that provides a range of proven technologies for the task.
We provide customised services including training to meet your needs:
- Site assessment and recommendations outlining extent and nature of restoration required, feasibility, options and costs
- Coral Management Plans (CMP), Coral Impact Mitigation Plans for development approvals, EIA or EMPs
- Project management of restoration efforts
- Coral relocation - safe and effective relocation of priority colonies out of dredge zones
- Coral transplanting, propagation and coral nurseries to provide the coral frags for repopulating degraded reefs or constructed reefs/seawalls, or sustainable supply for the aquarium industry
- Stabilization of coral rubble or toppled coral colonies to facilitate natural recovery
- Reconstruction of reef structure to facilitate natural recovery and restore essential fish habitat to prevent the loss of important fish species from the area
- Designed artificial reefs to receive coral frags or relocated corals, or to replace critical habitat lost or to assist regrowth
Training Available in Reef CPR!
Are you tired of just monitoring and documenting how many corals have bleached or have been killed? Are you tired of just watching your coral reefs die?
All dive centres, NGO's, community groups, and resorts should have staff trained in Reef CPR (coral preservation and restoration)!
Reef CPRTM includes a range of proprietary training modules specifically designed for community programs, dive centres, volunteers and tourists that want to reduce impacts to reefs and facilitate recovery.
>> Download our Reef CPR flyer
Thousands and thousands of hours are spent by divers underwater that could be spent conducting Reef CPR! Many divers are begging to help save the broken corals they have to swim past and they are willing to pay to be involved. With reefs in such a critical condition around the world, it is crazy to not take advantage of this willing workforce. Therefore every dive centre and resort in a coral area should have key staff that are trained in Reef CPR.
Our unique Reef Recovery Program includes Reef CPR and is the only training course available that combines the science, the art and the business model you need to implement an effective and sustainable reef restoration program.
This program has been designed for resorts and dive centres that need a fun and rewarding reef recovery program that is not only effective but generates its own revenue, therefore reducing financial pressure on you. We have all run our own dive centres and ecotours, therefore we understand your needs as a business owner or manager. We understand the need to maintain or enhance the customer experience, and professional presentation and training.
We customise the program to suit your specific application and objectives and we can help you determine the most important priorities for your area.
We recommend three key steps in our Reef Recovery Program and we can assist you with one of them or all of them.
>> Contact us now to discuss your training needs.
>> Click here to download our Reef CPR flyer
Reefs at risk...
The video below does a fantastic job of highlighting the threats reefs face around the world and the desperate need for action.
Contact us now to discuss our new CPR (Coral Preservation and Restoration) courses designed to specifically tackle reef degradation on a local level while also providing local employment.
VIDEO: This video shows us installing a light logger on a reef in the Arabian Gulf that we are surveying for a dredging project. Light loggers are one of the many tools we use in assessing reefs for coral relocation and restoration.
Roy to the Rescue!
As part of our contribution to World Oceans Day and the theme of 'Youth: the Next Wave for Change' we are excited to introduce three enthusiastic volunteers that want to share with kids important messages regarding reef restoration and how to help keep our reefs healthy and more resistant to climate change.
Designed for resort programs, marine ed centres, community groups and schools, the Activities can be downloaded and copied and used as you wish. We will be continually working on new Activities and welcome your input.
The three volunteers are:
Roy Sharpie a long spined urchin (Diadema antillarum)
Aristotle Acropora Amadeus (Ari) a branching coral who likes the finer things in life
Barry the Boulder Coral (Bazzer) who is big, lived a long time and key building block in the reef
Activity #1: the value of urchins on the reef
This first Activity is simple but includes a very important message.
Think of a reef as a city...
Healthy reefs are vibrant underwater cities providing opportunity, food and refuge. Unfortunately like some cities, they too can become the equivalent of slums...providing limited opportunity, limited food and poor quality refuge.
Of the 109 countries with coral reefs, 90 of them are being damaged due to tourism (TIES 2006). Our goal is to help implement strategies to reduce this impact and restore the underwater slums back to vibrant healthy neighbourhoods.
>> Download our Tech Note: Designing Artificial Reefs and Cities - the shared principles
>> Download our Tech Note: ADAM - 4 fundamental stages in artificial reef construction
Multipurpose Artificial Reefs
Multipurpose Artificial Reefs can be designed to provide a range of functions and benefits to the community and environment.
They can be stand alone reefs or constructed as an integral feature of a coastal development or offshore facility.
For example they can be constructed to offset the loss of natural reef - the new reef can be constructed nearby or as a reef complex setup to receive contributions from multiple projects that are required to offset their impacts.
Additional information on our artificial reef services for enhancing fish stocks or repairing damaged reefs can be found at: 'Fisheries Enhancement' and 'Reef Restoration'.
>> Download our Tech Note: Designing Artificial Reefs and Cities - the shared principles
>> Download our Tech Note: ADAM - the four essential stages in successful artificial reef design
>> Download our Tech Note 4: Explanation of design details for the Wind Tower and Antitrawl reef units
Photo: reef units loaded on barge in Bahrain for construction of commercial fishing reefs. SOI partnered with local company Reef Arabia to design and construct ten reefs around Bahrain, the first initiative of its kind in the Arabian Gulf. SOI provided three unique reef unit designs for the project that are tailored to the local species and culture.
Applications for Multipurpose Artificial Reefs
Multipurpose Artificial Reefs can be constructed to protect eroding beaches of resorts while providing a recreational snorkelling asset, or they can be used to enhance local fish stocks while offsetting loss of habitat due to development.
Our team has in depth experience in designing and building artificial reefs in the US, Middle East, Asia, Australia, Mediterranean and Caribbean.
We provide customised services to meet your needs, as well as:
- Multipurpose breakwaters for resort beach protection and recreation
- Design and construct
- Unique reefs for tourist submarines
- Underwater sculpture parks
- Fish friendly marina design
- Reefs made from recycled materials
Mini multipurpose breakwater designed to support a healthy oyster population which will help increase biodiversity, increase juvenile fish habitat, reduce suspended solids and reduce boat wash that is eroding estuary banks.
Multipurpose artificial reef in the Grand Cayman (above photo) and Antigua (below photo). This type of breakwater is ideal for resort areas as it is visually less distracting than large rock seawalls, provides a snorkeling and diving attraction, enhances biodiversity and maintains a healthy flow of water to the back lagoon area.
The breakwater can be designed to help offset damage to natural reefs (and/or loss of biodiversity) and this may include relocation of coral from dredge areas to the the breakwater where we use a range of techniques we have developed to secure the coral to the concrete modules.
Contact us to discuss your artificial reef project.
Sustainable Resort Programs – turning tourism into a tool for reef preservation
Our core belief: tourism can be a tool for reef preservation.
>>Click here to download our sustainable tourism brochure outlining how we can assist you.
>>Click here to download our Reef CPR flyer - every dive centre and resort should have at least two staff trained in Reef CPR!
On this page you'll find:
Tourism as a Tool for Reef Preservation
Services to Match your Resort
Training Available
Roy to the Rescue - kids activities
Reefs are like Cities
Tourism as a Tool for Reef Preservation
We are excited about the opportunities this presents!
We can help you ‘turn the tide’ so tourism becomes a tool for coral reef preservation rather than its adversary.
With the added bonus of exceeding guest expectations and making a positive contribution to the local environment.
Our strategy includes combining best business practices with leading reef restoration techniques to create a sustainable operation for your resort - and happy reefs, happy guests!
Our Team have designed and run marine ecotour programs or reef conservation programs in Australia, Mauritius, Thailand and Cayman Islands.
Services to Match Your Resort
Each resort and situation is unique, however examples of services we provide include:
- Needs and Opportunity Analysis to determine program options and budgets that match your resort, objectives and resources
- Design and implementation of reef conservation programs
- Adopt-a-Coral programs and sustainable coral nurseries
- Marine EcoTour Guide training
- Marine Ed programs for schools
- Marine Protected Areas – consultation and setup
>>Click here to download our sustainable tourism program brochure.
Training Available!
We have three training modules specifically designed for community programs, dive centres, volunteers and tourists that want to reduce impacts to reefs and facilitate recovery.
Our Reef CPRTM Program is customised to suit your specific application and objectives and we can help you determine the most important priorities for your area.
Module 1 - Identifying and reducing existing reef impacts
Module 2 - Implementing actions that help natural recruitment and recolonisation by coral
Module 3 - Assist recovery by transplanting and/or propagating corals
>> Contact us now to discuss your training needs.
>> Click here to download our Reef CPR flyer.
Roy to the Rescue!
As part of our contribution to World Oceans Day and the theme of 'Youth: the Next Wave for Change' we are excited to introduce three enthusiastic volunteers that want to share with kids important messages regarding reef restoration and how to help keep our reefs healthy and more resistant to climate change.
Designed for resort programs, marine ed centres, community groups and schools, the Activities can be downloaded and copied and used as you wish. We will be continually working on new Activities and welcome your input.
The three volunteers are:
Roy Sharpie a long spined urchin (Diadema antillarum)
Aristotle Acropora Amadeus (Ari) a branching coral who likes the finer things in life
Barry the Boulder Coral (Bazzer) who is big, lived a long time and key building block in the reef
Activity #1: the value of urchins on the reef
This first Activity is simple but includes a very important message.
Congratulations to Jamie Raymundo from the Philippines!
Jamie is 4 and she's the first person to make Ari and Roy smile by giving them some colour. Well done Jamie!
Elwood Primary, Grade 1 (Australia) invite Ari, Roy and Bazzer to their class!
And have a great time colouring them in, working out the maze and learning about their important role on the reef.
Rishabh, age 7
Finn, age 7
Chloe, age 7
Charlie tackles the maze to help Roy get to Ari to help him with his algae problem! age 7
Reefs are like Cities
We view healthy reefs (including constructed reefs) as underwater cities.
They provide a diverse range of opportunities for marine life, a variety of food and a range of nooks and crannies for the various inhabitants that are essential to create a rich and diverse ecosystem.
Unfortunately coastal development in many countries is turning these diverse and rich cities into slums.
Underwater slums that provide limited opportunity, limited diversity, a limited range of food and poor quality refuge.
We provide the technology and strategies to help restore these 'slums' and reduce further degradation of reefs. We believe tourism can be a tool for reef preservation rather than reef degradation.
Contact us now to discuss how we can help.
Marine Protected Areas
We use Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a generic term for a range of different management strategies for marine habitats that are considered important and in need of better controlled use. They may be labelled marine parks, voluntary no take zones, locally managed marine areas etc.
Our experts have direct experience of setting up MPAs in places such as Mauritius, and MPAs can be a very effective and essential component of reef and fishery restoration programs. For example artificial reefs constructed as part of a restoration program can be used to reduce fishing pressure on degraded natural reefs or provided as compensation to fishers for areas closed to fishing. MPAs can also be used to maintain healthy connectivity between important habitats and natural or artificial reefs.
We provide customised services to meet your needs, as well as:
- MPA setup and stakeholder consultation
- Artificial reef programs to complement MPAs
Founding Member
In the News
Reef CPR for the GBR!
SOI is partnering with Cairns based 'Sustainable Reefs' and Southern Cross University in order to establish a Reef CPR (coral preservation and restoration) program that includes a research and training centre and coral adoption and planting program that will allow the tourism industry to play a role in helping the reef and to help fill gaps in knowledge about effective restoration strategies for impacted areas on the Great Barrier Reef. This knowledge will then be used in training programs to build the capacity of the dive industry and key government partners to respond to ship groundings, cyclone damage and general reef breakage occuring at high use sites. In effect it is pioneering a new philosophy of recognising that while the reef is traditionally resilient, it is unable to quickly recover from the huge stresses we are placing on it. Just as we have maintenance programs in land based parks, we now must do the same with our marine parks.
The program covers the science, art and business of restoration which is key to its success.
The Adopt-a-Coral program spearheaded by coral mascot 'Ari' will allow tourists, locals and anyone internationally to contriibute to saving the GBR.
Tourists, especially those snorkelling and diving can leave the reef in better condition than they found it! Therefore turning tourism into a tool for reef preservation. Considering the huge tourism value of the GBR...its the least we can do!
Contact us if you'd like to be involved.
Qater reef constructed to offset port impacts
SOI prepared the coral mitigation plan for the new Doha Port to reduce impacts of this important project and this included coral relocation and construction of a purpose designed artificial reef.
SOI's sister company Reef Arabia based in Bahrain, manufactured, delivered and deployed the concrete reef units for this mitigation requirement.
Summary of projects and product development, 2012
Here's our quick overview of some key projects and new constructed reef units we've worked on in 2012.
>>Read key highlights of 2012 here
Culturally Sensitive Artificial Reef Design
Local customs and architecture are considered when planning new buildings...as underwater architects, we believe there are benefits of doing the same when designing a reef.
But its not just about designing a pretty replica for the seabed! The design must also appeal to the marine life of the area.
We describe a good example of how this can be done in our Tech Note 4 - download here .
World's First 3D printed Artificial Reef!
In a world first, an advanced construction sized 3D printer has been used by SOI to revolutionise artificial reef design and produce reef units that look and function like a natural reef, a major step forward in a bid to restore lost and damaged reefs around the world.
>> Read the full media release here
Latest underwater footage from Bahrain artificial reef program
Reef 6, eight weeks after deployment.
Australia Unlimited features SOI
Australian innovation and can-do efficiency is restoring the world’s ocean reefs and creating sustainable marine environments.
Read this article and the background on why we do what do >>click here .
By Kristie Kellahan
http://www.australiaunlimited.com/environment/sustainable-success
We have a winner!
Sustainable Ocean Innovation Award 2012
...and the award goes to...GhostNets Australia for their work in northern Australia tackling the serious problem of lost fishing nets called 'ghost nets'.
The group has found ghost nets measuring 10km long and recorded a myriad of marine species that get entangled as the nets drift along with the currents. The destruction caused by ghost nets continues as they near shore, often wrapping themselves around delicate coral reefs and coastal mangrove systems.
"The GhostNets Australia program is a fantastic example of innovation in action"l.
>>Read the media release here: Sustainable Ocean Innovation Award 2012
SOI constructs first 'cod cave' to help save Murray cod
Murray cod are Australia's largest freshwater fish and overfishing and loss of essential habitat has decimated their numbers. SOI has been contracted to design and construct a concrete unit to help restore some of the essential breeding habitat the fish require. September surveys found a 1.03m Murray Cod right on top of a cod cave so that was very exciting and confirmation they are working. Sidescan image by ACT Government.
SOI wins 2 Year Contract - Bahrain
SOI and partner Reef Arabia have won a two year contract to design, build and monitor 10 artificial reefs around Bahrain.
>>Further details and photos of deployment of first reef in Bahrain
>>Bahrain newspaper article in Arabic
Four reefs have been deployed thus far. This is the first project of its kind to be constructed in the Arabian Gulf and the first to use custom reef units (designed by SOI) specifically for the local species.
SOI Completes Coral Mitigation Plan for New Doha Port
SOI conducted the necessary surveys and prepared the coral mitigation plans for the New Doha Port and naval base construction which includes a 10km long shipping channel and impact footprint of 4.5km2. Our mitigation plan included accurate coral surveys to quantify the size, type and number of corals within the imperiled and threatened zones, and detailed recommendations on relocation methodology, relocation sites and compensatory artificial reefs to offset loss of productive reef structure.
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