How is life attracted to an artificial reef?
Top Fish Artificial reefs fill a habitat need for some marine life – providing a place to find food, shelter and a place to attach to. Ideally, natural colonization occurs where artificial reefs do not “attract” organisms per se, but instead do not inhibit growth. Basically, the goal in an artificial reef is to allow growth, not inhibit it. The term “attract” indicates an active role on the part of the inanimate artificial reef, whereas they play more of a passive role. Mobile animals, like fish and crabs, actively seek out habitat. However, the fish may be able to “sense” habitat by current and pressure patterns in the water created by the reef. So, in a sense (sorry for the pun), reefs could be said to “attract” fish.
