30/09/2026
“Why do you use nets?” 📧
We get asked this a lot! So… what’s actually going on underneath our artificial reef structures? 👀
🪸 The nets stabilise the rubble
Placing a heavy structure on loose rubble can cause it to shift. Patient Zero was deployed without a support net, and we’re now seeing ‘scouring’ — where rubble is moved away, creating a bowl around the structure. Our nets help keep the rubble in place!
🪸 They help us collect corals of opportunity
Loose corals can be threaded through the net until they’re ready to be planted, preventing them from being swept away and making our work more efficient
🪸 They provide a stable substrate
We’re seeing natural coral recruitment on the nets, giving young corals a secure place to grow rather than tumbling down loose rubble. Some transplanted corals are also beginning to encrust onto the nets!
🪸 And they’re becoming a habitat!
As marine plants settle and grow, the nets are gradually becoming their own little habitat and food source for marine life! 🌱🐠
So, what might look like a simple net is actually doing a LOT beneath our structures! 🌊
