{"id":2807,"date":"2022-10-31T02:58:29","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T06:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/hooklinescience\/?p=2807"},"modified":"2023-07-25T14:29:49","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T18:29:49","slug":"how-much-ocean-floor-off-the-southeast-coast-do-natural-reefs-occupy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/hooklinescience\/how-much-ocean-floor-off-the-southeast-coast-do-natural-reefs-occupy\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Ocean Floor Off the Southeast Coast Do Natural Reefs Occupy?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
And how much more<\/em> territory belongs to natural reefs than to artificial reefs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Natural reefs \u2014 often referred to more inclusively as \u201chard bottom\u201d \u2014 are important habitat for finfish, invertebrates, and other environmentally and economically important fauna. In fact, hard bottom is one of six types of habitat worthy of protection under the NC Coastal Habitat Protection Plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Natural reefs include anything from true coral reefs to patches of rock \u2014 in other words, something other than the ubiquitous sand and mud that covers most of the Atlantic Ocean seafloor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve ever been bottom fishing offshore, you likely dropped your hooks over natural, hard-bottomed areas, or perhaps you\u2019ve fished at an artificial reef, placed specifically to create additional habitat and provide other support for fisheries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But did you ever stop and wonder how much of the ocean bottom off North Carolina and the Southeast is classified as natural reef and how much is artificial reef?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previous estimates of hard bottom coverage in the Southeast\u2019s waters are inconsistent and range from 3% to 30%. However, managers need accurate estimates to help with ocean planning (think Offshore Wind Farms) and natural resource management (think fisheries).<\/p>\n\n\n\nResearch Need<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n