Marine-i, which is partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, has given ARC-Marine a rapid innovation grant to enable the company to move to the next phase of their artificial reef development program.
ARC-Marine has created a pioneering way to build artificial reefs called “Reef Cubes.” The system is modular, made up of a series of interlocking cubes that can be used to repair and rebuild damaged reef systems. According to ARC-Marine Director Tom Birbeck:
“Much of our world’s fisheries are now over exploited. Unless the current situation improves, there is a real danger that stocks of all the species that we rely on for food could collapse within 30 years. Our reefs can protect the aquaculture which many of these precious species rely on. These include scallops, crabs, lobsters and shoal fish – all very important commercial species.”
He added:
“With the excellent help and support of the Marine-i team, we have ambitions to become the industry leaders in marine eco-engineering and conservation projects, operating from our base at Penryn in Cornwall. In addition to the grant support, we have received outstanding advice and insights from the Marine-i experts and their associates. For a young company like ours, that is simply invaluable.”
The grant is for £2,000/~$2,545 /~€2,281 and will enable ARC-Marine to purchase the necessary diving gear to perform extended mooring and installation trials.
You can find out more about ARC-Marine and Reef Cubes here, or check out a video of Reef Cubes below.
