Antigua Reef Ball Projects

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• Antigua Mangroves Action Network Article
  
• John Walch - The Marine Aquarium Hobby Helps Build Coral Reefs - December 6, 2004
  
• CNN's "Global Challenges" Reef Ball Segment (Audio.mp3) Video broadcast Aug 29, 2004. Videos: Medium Resolution (7 Megs Windows Media)  Low Resolution (2 Megs Windows Media)
• CNN.com - Transcripts, Headline News Sept. 25, 2004 OR
  
  View Video (7 megs)
  
• July 8th, 2004 "Eco – Enhancing Marine Projects", by John Walch
  
  
• Press Release of the Antigua Reef Ball Project
• Feb 15, 2004 ENN News - Over 7,000 Red Mangroves used in Maiden Island Mangrove Restoration
• Fish, Corals, Algae and Inverts present after construction of the Windward Reefball Reef. (Please send us reports of any confirmed sightings not listed here. (More formal report to follow)
• Here are a few of the accomplishments that are world firsts....
  
  1) We propagated (which means we created new colonies) over 5,000 coral
  colonies of 30 different species
  2) We rescued over 17.5+ tons of corals from dredging operations and
  transplanted them onto the Reef Balls without a single coral family loss.
  3) We re-established 4 new  coral species lost from Maiden Island during a
  category 5 hurricane five years ago.
  4) We relocated and saved over 3000 (free living) rose corals.
  5) We populated the Reef Balls with over 500 sea urchins to create
  conditions optimal for coral recruitment
  6) We built a near shore to offshore  reef corridor to help transport
  juvenile fish to adult fish habitat.  We also created a large variety of
  inter-unit spacing changes to create the greatest possible species
  diversity.
  7) We created a "pinnacle" reef (3 large piles of huge Reef Balls nearly
  reaching the surface in 20 feet of water and big enough to penetrate as a
  scuba diver) with a "sound signature" to host potential fish spawning
  activity.  To our amazement, within 3 weeks of building it, we already have
  a gray snapper pre-spawn event occurring with hundreds of very large snapper
  schooling to spawn!
  8) We created hundreds of yards of snorkeling and diving trails. All the
  Pallet Ball sized Reef Balls (over 100 of them) on the trail each have 3 12
  inch x 12 inch by one inch deep squares that can have snorkel trail signs
  added or be left as is to serve as trail markers.
  9) We added juvenile lobster recruitment mesh to several Reef Balls and have
  already observed lobsters on the Reef.  Other Reef Balls have a similar
  material added to create invertebrate diversity. [More may be added by Nova
  Southwestern as part of a study on invertebrates].
  10) We have already documented 73 fish species, 71 Invertebrates, 30 Corals
  and 26 Algae (plus a turtle) now on the Reef.  Increases in fish counts are
  huge.
  11) We stabilized over 9000 pounds of loose live rocks from the area to help
  reduce hurricane reef damage.
  12) The Reef Ball Foundation activated the Coral Propagation and Coral
  Rescue volunteer teams.  There were over 274 man-days of volunteer
  assistance organized to conduct the project.  This included expert
  volunteers from Australia, England, Holland, Mexico, Curacao, France,
  Italy, Antigua, Florida, Georgia, New York, Arizona, Turks and Caicos,
  Mississippi, Malaysia, and more.  Locals from Antigua (especially the
  Optimist Club) astonished us coming out on even rainy days to assist.
  13) Reef Balls have never been built faster...we had over 40 molds turning
  2-4 times per day running 24-hours per day with shifts of dedicated
  construction worker averaging 50 at any given time.
  14) We deployed on average 60 Reef Balls each day (rain or shine), with
  coral teams having transplanted the Reef Balls usually within hours of
  deployment.  Skilled barge crews operated in delicate coral reef areas
  without disturbing the corals.
  15) The documented gray snapper aggregation for spawning is the first known
  formation of a fish spawning site and has major implications for future fish
  stock management.
  17) We (intentionally) increased the genetic diversity of several species of
  coral (Finger, Elkhorn, Staghorn, Lettuce, Brains, and soft corals) to
  strengthen the reef from coral diseases and man made stresses.
  18) We documented corals "basing" (growing out over the Reef Balls) in just
  3 weeks including Staghorns, Elkhorns and Finger Corals.  This indicates
  they are healthy and will survive well.
  19) The Reef included hundreds of "Feature" Reef Balls and an incredible
  variety of sizes and shapes (including all reef habitat classes such as
  voids, ledges and thickets)....all of these variations were designed to
  mimic specific reef functions.
  20) In total, the project will include over 3000 Reef Balls modules.
  
  
• Caribbean Reef Balls Puerto Rico, Caribbean Oceanography Group (Dr. Alfredo Torruella), Reef Ball Foundation, Reef Ball Development Group (Todd Barber), Advanced Coastal Technology (Jay Sample), Dr Lee Harris 321-795-1126 (c), Dr Don Ward, and Ocean World Consulting, John Walch 602-548-8697 SMARTjohATnetscape.net formed a multi-disciplinary team to provide recommendations for the restoration of Maiden Island near shore aquatic environments and its beaches. A Reef Ball submerged breakwater has been built including use of the Reef Ball Coral Propagation and transplant adapter system. The team also met with Department of Environment (Environmental Protection and Fisheries) group for additional design considerations.
• Aerial Photo of Maiden Island (before construction of the reef)
• "Stanford Development Group in Antigua has conducted a project through the Reef Ball Foundation to install approximately 3,000 Reef Balls around Maiden Island.  The project was the largest ever coral propagation and transplant program. We  created over 10,000 new coral colonies, including threatened Staghorn (A. cervicornis)  and Elkhorn corals (A. Palmata).   The Reef Balls will serve many purposes including protecting seagrasses from boating scars, stabilization of the island's beaches to create better conditions (less siltation) for corals and other marine life, and as substrate to create a richly diverse coral reef.  The Reef Ball Foundation has activated its Coral Propagation and Rescue Team that is a network of individuals throughout the world who have been trained in Reef Ball methods of coral propagation.  So far, 26 of the available pool of 100+ of these experts have been used in the project.  Additionally, Antigua's Optimist Club has offered local volunteers to assist in the effort and other volunteers from the community are expected to receive training in the methods to continue the work in other locations throughout Antigua.  An Oceanographer,  Alfredo Torruella, Ph.D. of the Caribbean Oceanography Group has selected the appropriate locations and sizes for the Reef Balls and Dr. Lee Harris of FIT is doing specialized engineering for the project which will include a variety of specialized anchoring techniques to fit the bottom characteristics of Maiden Island. Harold Hudson (A.K.A. “The Reef Doctor”)  has assisted the Foundation in providing specialized biological designs for "Layer Cake" and "Thicket" Reef Balls made using the Reef Ball molds and his unique molding techniques.  In total, the project used 7 different sizes of Reef Balls of which there are 9 different styles and 5 different anchoring solutions.  Not only is this the most extensive use of all Reef Ball technologies, it was also  completed in record time. "

Other Information (NOTE AT=@ to avoid spamming.)

Bathymetric Analysis, Wave Refraction/Diffraction Analysis, Coastal Zone Management Study, Maiden Island Beach Protection Study  by Alfredo Torruella, Ph.D. atorrueATattglobal.net of Caribbean Ocenaography Group. Reports on file at RBDG office but too large to post in net (commonfiles/commondocuments/antigua/). 787 726-2494 

Wayne Martin  dotman_910AThotmail.com  Contact:   Tel      1 - 268 - 4624576/7/8       Fax:   1 - 268 - 4621884

Steve Graham, Architect sgrahamATstanfordeagle.com 
(268) 480- 5280
(268) 480-3573 (Direct)
(268) 480-5289 (Fax)

Scott Glendinning, Chief Architect sglendinningATstanfordeagle.com 
268-464-5284
Fax 268-480-5928

 Assistant Lahorma James 480-3583 ljames@stanfordeagle.com Ann Marie Liverpool, (Fax Number 480-3597) /fills in for Lahorma sometimes.

Valentine, Abigail avalentine@StanfordEagle.com (Admin./Reception)
(Stanford Development Company)

Gregory (Greg) L. Morris & Associates gregmorrisATattglobal.net 787-723-8005 

Maiden Island Reef Ball Team 1st Visit Photos
-Special Merged Photos of Windward, Leeward and Mangrove Areas

Mold Owners

Stanford Development Company purchased 50 Reef Ball molds but the license for using them has been suspended pending resolution of outstanding invoices associated with the project.  Use of these molds for any project without the advanced written consent of the Reef Ball Foundation is a violation of international copyright law.

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