Are Obsolete Platforms Better Than Other Materials For Making A Reef?
A. According to experts, platform structures are ideal (durable, stable, complex) materials because of their engineering design and construction. The rounded steel legs of the jackets provide the maximum surface area for biological growth and attachment of benthic organisms. They were also constructed to withstand the horizontal wave forces of 100-year storms. A variety of Gulf reef fish spend at least some part of their life cycle in the shadow or protection of these structures. When a platform is removed, these fish have hard bottom areas for refuge or for critical phases in their life cycle. The benthic organisms attached to the structure such as barnacles, sponges and cup corals are lost forever when the structure is taken to shore. The extensive vertical profile of the structure, and the steel lattice construction, provide a habitat that supports a vast array of fish and other marine life.
