Published by Sophie Morton on December 30, 2021
After months of preparation, IntelliReefs successfully deployed the first ReefShip modules in Dartmouth Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. In total, we deployed 16 ReefShip Modules and over 250 IntelliReefs domes on site. The aim of this large scale artificial reef deployment is to ascertain the efficacy and impact of Oceanite for kelp restoration, oyster bed, and near-shore fisheries restoration.
Around the world, massive kelp beds are rapidly declining due to coastal development and erosion, warming waters, invasive species, poor water quality, pollution, and overfishing. As a consequence of losing these lush underwater forests, fisheries and ocean-based economies around the world are in serious jeopardy. As with many other regions in the world, Nova Scotia’s prolific kelp beds are steadily declining. Researchers from Dalhousie University have documented an 85-99% decline in kelp biomass over the past 4-6 decades along the eastern shore of Nova Scotia.
IntelliReefs' ReefShip design mimics the architecture, geology, and chemistry of natural tropical and temperate reefs. ReefShip quickly builds 3D complexity and structure where it has been lost due to climate change, coastal development, and pollution in order to feed and shelter fish and invertebrates, and provide biomimicking substrates that attract and sustain kelp and shellfish species.
For this deployment, IntelliReefs had the pleasure of partnering with a local company, Dominion Diving . Dominion Diving is Canada’s superior marine service force based in Nova Scotia. Founded in 1969, the company has earned a solid reputation for pushing the limits and extremes of marine innovation throughout its history.
Dominion Diving’s Cam Howlett worked alongside our team during the entire deployment. “IntelliReefs is such an extensive organization,” says Cam. “It’s not just ‘We’re building reefs and that’s it.’ IntelliReefs seems to be a wider scope, which means doing something that’s going to rebuild the ocean and rebuild habitat. It’s not limited by a shape or material. It’s about finding what works in this area, versus another area. That’s really exciting.”
IntelliReefs will continue to work with researchers from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada, to monitor and measure the growth of kelp and other algae following the introduction of our modules to test the benefits of Oceanite to temperate water kelp forest ecosystems .
— Dr. Julie Pullen
Blue carbon and innovations that seek to harness its power have the potential to mitigate rising CO2 emissions and their disastrous consequences. IntelliReefs CAN's mission is to turn grey infrastructure "blue", creating a conservation opportunity within what has traditionally been a highly unsustainable industry. The cement industry has a massive carbon footprint and is the third highest carbon dioxide (CO2) contributor in the world, annually contributing about 8% of global emissions . IntelliReefs' manufacturing constitutes about half of the emissions of concrete and is engineered to enhance the growth of kelp for decades, capturing carbon from the atmosphere annually.
We are thrilled to announce that we have been nominated for an Energy Globe Award for sustainability for our ongoing coral restoration work in Sint Maarten with the local Nature Foundation!
We are so honoured to have been nominated for the "Water" category by an International jury spanning all 5 continents, chaired by Maneka Gandhi, from a total of around 3000 submissions from more than 180 countries.
On November 8, in the frame of the COP26 - UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, all nominees and the winners will be presented in a documentation by streaming, which is distributed worldwide. Stay tuned for more details on our nomination. For more information on past Energy Globe Award winners, click here.
Vote for IntelliReefs and Reef Life Foundation Today!
IntelliReefs' close partner, Reef Life Foundation, was recently nominated for the "Ocean Tribute" Award by boot Düsseldorf and their partners the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco and German Ocean Foundation.
The winner of the award will be decided by a jury and the general public. Visit the public voting platform now to cast your vote for OPTION #5 Reef Life Foundation and IntelliReefs: Building Homes for the Ocean's Homeless!
Looking to get involved with IntelliReefs' work in Nova Scotia?
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
science@intellireefs.com
Follow IntelliReefs online:
Instagram: @intellireefs
Facebook: @IntelliReefs.Sustainable.Marine.Solutions
Additional Links for Media:
Video: “Invest in the Oceans with IntelliReefs”
The Biological Benefits of IntelliReefs
Video: “Why Corals Love IntelliReefs”
Video: “Restoring Reef Biodiversity: Sint Maarten”
High resolution photos are available upon request.
About IntelliReefs:
IntelliReefs are innovative reef restoration systems; the result of breakthroughs in science and nanotechnology, these engineered structures mimic established coral reefs to build an oceanic infrastructure that improves resistance to climate stressors and diseases.
IntelliReefs is a division of Reef Life Restoration, LLC with 20 years of earned experience in advanced materials, manufacturing methods and delivering custom projects, using scientific research, and architectural innovation to offer high performance marine restoration systems designed from nano to industrial scale.