SOI is a consultancy that provides specialist advice and support to larger consultancies, organisations or government departments.
We can help you with all aspects of artificial reefs, living seawall design, habitat enhancement and reef restoration. This includes the preparation of dredge mitigation plans for dredging in reef areas and coral relocation plans.
Follow our work and posts on our Facebook page.
Our artificial reef work commenced in 1991 and we continue to pioneer and test new designs and manufacturing techniques including 3D printed reefs, eco-engineered seawalls and Insitu Constructed Reefs (ICRs).
We have successfully conducted artificial reef projects or coral relocation projects in Australia, Papua New Guinea, North Sulawesi, Bali, Fiji, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Caribbean, and the US.
Download SOI Director CV for artificial reef and coral relocation projects.
If you need a project partner to bid on a job or fill a skill gap, we can help.
We have a diverse range of artificial reef units (including 3D printed units) we can supply as well as the capability to custom design units from several kilos to several tonnes.
We're Specialists
We can help you design reefs to enhance coastal infrastructure (e.g. living seawalls), jetties or marinas, increase fish stocks, repair damaged reefs, create tourist attractions or offset dredging impacts. Designing reefs is not something we do on the side or within other environmental consulting services. Building with nature is not something you learn overnight. It takes time and experience. Because we are focused, we provide you with the most effective solutions.
We are your specialist partner whether you are an existing environmental consultancy, government department or NGO. Add us to your design team during the proposal preparation phase or during the retrofitting of existing projects.
Dredge Mitigation
If you need to offset or mitigate dredging impacts to reefs (or other important marine habitat), relocate corals out of a dredge zone, or need a coral mitigation plan for a dredging permit, we can help. Our experts find ways of reducing the impact of dredging and coastal development projects to protect coral reefs, maintain or enhance biodiversity and keep projects on schedule.
We are not in the business of just moving corals from one location to another. We use our specialist knowledge to reconstruct a productive reef so that maximum benefits are gained for you the client, the community and the environment. We have produced dredge mitigation plans for major port construction and pipeline shore pulls and we deliver on time and on budget.
Case Studies
SOI_Case_study_Dredge_mitigation_Qatar_Port_1.pdf
SOI_Case_study_Dredging_innovation_to_minimise_impacts_and_create_reefs_1.pdf
SOI_Case_study_Dredge_mitigation_Saudi_RTIP_1.pdf
Reef Restoration - Reef CPR (coral preservation and restoration)
Tired of swimming by over turned or broken coral and feeling helpless to save it? Are you keen to do more than survey reefs to confirm coral loss? Are you frustrated and depressed at the sight of fields of thriving coral reduced to coral rubble that will become overgrown with weed?
We were!
Using our experience and techniques of relocating, propagating and planting corals and constructing reefs we have put together a fantastic new program called Reef CPRTM for dive centres, resorts, NGO's or individuals wanting to 'turn the tide'. We can help you repair damaged or degraded coral reefs with our proprietary reef restoration and reef rehabilitation strategies.
SOI_FAQ_regarding_Reef_CPR_v3.pdf.
And restoration makes smart business and economic sense.
Here is a quick video showing one of our very simple techniques used in Reef CPR to rescue dying or struggling corals or enhance or restore an area damaged by storms, blast fishing, ship groundings or tourism.
Artificial Reefs (constructed reefs)
As part of a sustainable development strategy we help you 'build with nature' whether you are constructing artificial reefs; restoring fish habitats for recreational and commercial fishing, creating sustainable resort tourism programs or fish friendly marinas.
We have been designing and building artifical reefs since 1991 and are unique in that we are not restricted to one type of artificial reef unit. We have over 12 different designs of reef unit we use and we also design custom units to suit your specific application and location.
How we can help you...
If you are in the process of:
- Planning or designing a coastal development
- Seeking a dredging permit
- Restoring a degraded reef
- Need training in reef restoration; or
- Require an artificial reef to improve fishing, create a fish friendly marina, compensate for impacts, reduce beach erosion or drive tourism
Sustainable Oceans International consultants have the experience to help your project succeed.
Restoring a reef or building a new reef is like building a vibrant city
Our philosophy is that constructed reefs (artificial reefs) should be inspired by nature and mimic natural reefs in appearance and function. Creating a natural looking underwater landscape complements the marine ecosystem, maintains biodiversity and maximises productivity. This is where our underwater architects go beyond solving the immediate or short term environmental issues. We turn underwater slums into vibrant and healthy neighbourhoods.
Our team are passionate about conserving our marine environment and have a combined knowledge of over 60 years with marine impact mitigation and have worked on complex projects across the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Africa and Europe.
>>Read our Tech Note on the key points of how designing a reef shares the same principles as designing a city. A great tool to help explain the reef design process.
>>Read about our team of experts.
If you need a highly experienced team that is dedicated to working with you to help you achieve your marine conservation and sustainable development goals… contact Sustainable Oceans today.
Building or planning a marina?
Checkout this short presentation below for some suggestions of how you can increase value by maintaining or even enhancing marine biodiversity of your marina development.
Sustainable Oceans International
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In the News
Reef Building Bali!
Looking to make a positive impact on your next dive trip? Tired of just looking at reefs and want to help rebuild them?
Join us this September for 12 days of fun positive impact diving in Bali and Gili Air. You will learn how to design and build artificial reefs, Reef CPR and work with the wonderful locals on rebuilding damaged reef areas.
Get the the details here, and feel free to shoot us an email if you have questions: https://www.dive2u.com/bali-reef-building-trip-safari
Seawall Enhancement via addition of Concrete Habitat Panels
SOI Director David Lennon is excited to see phase two of SIMS World Harbour Project roll out which involves the addition of 500 concrete custom designed habitat panels to Sydney seawalls to increase oysters and biodiversity in general.
David has been involved in the project from conception through his affiliation with the Reef Design Lab which he co-founded with Alex Goad. Enhancing seawalls and designing new seawalls for increased biodiversity is an important advancement in coastal engineering design that David has been promoting since the 90's. SOI can provide a range of services for seawall design or enhancement. Contact us to discuss your project.
Papua New Guinea Coral Relocation
In Dec 2017, SOI was contracted by Pacific Marine Group to relocate over 260 priority corals out of the area where a sewage outfall trench was to be dredged.
The project was a success and bommies up to 3m in dia and 2m high were relocated to safety. We also relocated associated fauna such as numerous anenomes with clownfish, a range of other fishes living in the corals, as well as urchins.
Hyundai Power Plant Artificial Reef Design (Red Sea, Saudi)
SOI designed the artificial reefs to offset impacts from dredging and construction of seawater intake infrastructure for the power plant. We used three different reef unit designs and a total of 500 units in various configurations to recplicate natural bommies that were impacted and to provide productive habitat for commercial fish species.
Reclamation Offset (Arabian Gulf, Saudi)
SOI designed the artificial reefs to offset the impacts from reclamation of 4.4million m2 of sandy nearshore seabed. A total of 1,300 reef units of three different sizes were deployed in specific configurations to maximise ecological benefits.
Fish Friendly Marinas
Here's an article by SOI Director David Lennon in the Dec issue of the Marina Industry Associations magazine.
>> Fish friendly marina design
SOI can provide the full suite of services from assessing marinas and recommending strategies to increase fish habitat, to providing and deploying the most appropriate fish habitat. Retrofitting a marina is always the most costly option so if you are designing are marina, get in touch with us and we can show you the most cost and ecologically effective strategies to boost biodiversity and fish numbers.
Qater reef constructed to offset port impacts
SOI prepared the coral mitigation plan for the new Doha Port to reduce impacts of this important project and this included coral relocation and construction of a purpose designed artificial reef.
SOI's sister company Reef Arabia based in Bahrain, manufactured, delivered and deployed the concrete reef units for this mitigation requirement.
Culturally Sensitive Artificial Reef Design
Local customs and architecture are considered when planning new buildings...as underwater architects, we believe there are benefits of doing the same when designing a reef.
But its not just about designing a pretty replica for the seabed! The design must also appeal to the marine life of the area.
We describe a good example of how this can be done in our Tech Note 4 - download here .
World's First 3D printed Artificial Reef!
In a world first, an advanced construction sized 3D printer has been used by SOI to revolutionise artificial reef design and produce reef units that look and function like a natural reef, a major step forward in a bid to restore lost and damaged reefs around the world.
>> Read the full media release here
Latest underwater footage from Bahrain artificial reef program
Reef 6, eight weeks after deployment.
Australia Unlimited features SOI
Australian innovation and can-do efficiency is restoring the world’s ocean reefs and creating sustainable marine environments.
Read this article and the background on why we do what do >>click here .
By Kristie Kellahan
http://www.australiaunlimited.com/environment/sustainable-success
We have a winner!
Sustainable Ocean Innovation Award 2012
...and the award goes to...GhostNets Australia for their work in northern Australia tackling the serious problem of lost fishing nets called 'ghost nets'.
The group has found ghost nets measuring 10km long and recorded a myriad of marine species that get entangled as the nets drift along with the currents. The destruction caused by ghost nets continues as they near shore, often wrapping themselves around delicate coral reefs and coastal mangrove systems.
"The GhostNets Australia program is a fantastic example of innovation in action"l.
>>Read the media release here: Sustainable Ocean Innovation Award 2012
SOI constructs first 'cod cave' to help save Murray cod
Murray cod are Australia's largest freshwater fish and overfishing and loss of essential habitat has decimated their numbers. SOI has been contracted to design and construct a concrete unit to help restore some of the essential breeding habitat the fish require. September surveys found a 1.03m Murray Cod right on top of a cod cave so that was very exciting and confirmation they are working. Sidescan image by ACT Government.
SOI wins 2 Year Contract - Bahrain
SOI and partner Reef Arabia have won a two year contract to design, build and monitor 10 artificial reefs around Bahrain.
>>Further details and photos of deployment of first reef in Bahrain
>>Bahrain newspaper article in Arabic
Four reefs have been deployed thus far. This is the first project of its kind to be constructed in the Arabian Gulf and the first to use custom reef units (designed by SOI) specifically for the local species.
SOI Completes Coral Mitigation Plan for New Doha Port
SOI conducted the necessary surveys and prepared the coral mitigation plans for the New Doha Port and naval base construction which includes a 10km long shipping channel and impact footprint of 4.5km2. Our mitigation plan included accurate coral surveys to quantify the size, type and number of corals within the imperiled and threatened zones, and detailed recommendations on relocation methodology, relocation sites and compensatory artificial reefs to offset loss of productive reef structure.
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