Do fish find artificial reefs more attractive than natural ones?
A. When we build a reef, we’re altering the availability of the structure fish need in proximity to their foraging grounds. So yes, they’re drawn to it, and there are reasonable studies to suggest that in general, artificial reefs hold initially higher densities of fish than natural reefs. However, there is not necessarily the same biodiversity or the same community composition because the reef structures, by design, are different. Q. If there is some tendency for fish to be attracted to artificial reefs, what’s the best way to look at the question of whether artificial reefs just attract fish from other spots, or whether they actually support the production of more fish? A. The answer is going to depend on the idiosyncrasies of the life history and ecology of what it is you’re talking about. Small fishes that are highly sedentary and highly site attached, meaning they get their shelter, get their food, and complete their life cycle essentially at the same place, for them an artificial
