ABSTRACT
Artificial reefs lead to an increase in the amount of productive habitat in both temperate and tropical marine communities. It has been proven that this technology provides more fish, and artificial structures have been used by Japan, the United States, and other fishing nations for more than 200 years. A major issue, to persist from early applications of artificial reef enhancement to more projects, has centered around the question of whether the reefs add to the production of fish resources, or simply aggregate stocks from surrounding areas. The designated Hawaiian artificial reef sites are all situated in relatively high-energy areas. Hawaiian coral reefs have suffered numerous perturbations including nutrient loading and pollution, runoff, infilling of shallow nursery grounds, dredging of harbors, and the introduction of exotic species. The Hawaiian Division of Aquatic Resources undertook preliminary artificial reef studies in 1957.
