Reef Balls

Jim McFarlane
Reef Innovations / Reef Ball Foundation
11/05/2023
09:30 AM
Additional Co-Authors
  • Larry Beggs
Abstract

Reef Balls are a designed reef module that took shape 30 years ago. The Reef Ball Foundation is a 501.c 3 organization. Larry Beggs has been connected with the Reef Ball Foundation since the 90's. Jim McFarlane saw the Reef Ball as a great artificial reef module to use in Hernando County in 1994 the Hernando County Port Authority initiated its first project. The thirty years of experience within over 80 countries and over 1.6 billion reef balls deployed bring to the table a great source for ideas and best practices for your project. The design of Reef Balls provides a low center of gravity that stays where it is placed. The Reef Ball has been used in high-energy environments for habitat and resilience. Research starting in the 90s has shown great results in wave attenuation and accretion of sands. Reef Balls have been used in offshore projects over 600 ft to living shorelines. In moving water, the design of the Reef Ball creates many micro eddy currents ideal for filter feeders. There have been many successes using Reef Balls in reservoirs.