An eight-year study of the SS Thistlegorm wreck reveals that marine life has transformed it into an artificial reef inhabited by dozens of species.
A research team at the University of Bologna in Italy worked with volunteer divers to observe and mark organisms on a list of underwater classifications. At the end of the study, 71 of the 72 listed taxa were observed on the wreck.
The research team says the more we know about such artificial reefs, the better we can protect natural reefs. In the future, both artificial and natural reefs may be used to increase marine biodiversity.
“The SS cystregome is a compelling example of how artificial reefs can maintain community structures similar to those of natural reefs,” the researchers wrote in their published paper.
It’s not the only shipwreck inhabited by marine life. Artificial reefs tend to mirror larger natural reefs that are nearby. So is the SS Sistregome wreck in the northern Red Sea.
Soft coral (Dendronephthya), moray eel (Gymnothorax javanicus), squirrel (Sargocentron), batfish (Platax), ray caran d’Ache, red sea clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus), humphead (Cheilinus undulatus), etc. It is one of the representative marine organisms.
In addition, the populations of these marine organisms seem to have remained fairly stable during the survey period, although there were some fluctuations due to seasonal and water temperature changes.
Such a comprehensive study was made possible in the framework of the project “Underwater Tourism for the Environment”, with the help of citizen scientists in wrecks. The project is being implemented in several locations in the Red Sea.
“This citizen science approach allows participants to perform their usual activities (volunteers’ behavior remains unchanged during the study) and collect casually observed data,” the researchers wrote.
“To analyze the reliability of the data collected by the participants, we compared it with the data collected by the control divers.
Scientists say artificial reefs could be a way to reduce tourism’s pressure on natural reefs and protect some reef-dependent species as climate change continues to impact the oceans. thinking about.
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