The Reef Ball Foundation does a large number of custom monitoring and data collection projects, and we require all Reef Ball mold owners to have in place a monitoring program for their Reef Balls for a minimum of three years.  There are lots of ways volunteers can get involved in these projects: doing fish counts and surveys,  formal bottom surveys, water quality analysis and monitoring, beach profile measurements, photo documentation of coral growth rates, participation on specific scientific studies, angler counts, stability monitoring, GPS coordinate verifications, documenting events such as coral or fish spawns, etc.  We want to know all we can about the reef systems we build so that we can continually improve our technology...get involved and help us all advance the science of restoration activities. 

Here are some other non-profit organizations that also do excellent monitoring work

Reef Check

Reef Check was developed in 1996 as a volunteer, community-based monitoring protocol designed to measure the health of coral reefs on a global scale. Reef Check is active in over 60 countries and territories throughout the tropical world. To learn more about how you can help save coral reefs, click here.

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation

REEF is a non-profit organization of volunteers that conduct fish surveys during their dives throughout the Tropical Western Atlantic, coastal North America, Tropical Eastern Pacific and Hawaii

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Coral Restoration

Coral Propagation

Coral Rescue

Artificial Reef 
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Red Mangrove Planting

Reef Ball Attachment System

Volunteer Programs

Activities Near You (Reef Ball World Mapping System)

Reef Ball Foundation Home Page

Reef Ball Services Home Page

Here's a sample list of some of the Monitoring & Scientific Studies on Reef Balls

• Curacao Scientific Monitoring Report Fish and Coral jan 2004.pdf

• Memphis Project Annual Report- July 2000 – July 2001 (Nova Southeastern Coral Propagation / Plugging Experiments, Coral Attractants, and Complexity Treatments on Reef Balls).

• ScientificReports/LeeHarris GCFI paper.pdf

• Curacao Scientific Reports /Fish Coral July 2003.pdf

• Cayman Island Marroitt Reef Ball Submerged Breakwater Project Update, July 2003.pdf (August Update ScientificReports/GC Marriott 03Aug update.pdf)

• Reef Balls ^TM: How Hotels, Tourism Associations, Cruise Lines and Others Use Designed Artificial Reefs to enhance the environment, create beaches and create tourist assets.

• URS Corp's 30% Design Report for ACOE about the Miami Reef Ball Submerged Breakwater Project (pdf format.) [Does not contain drawings in Appendix C:]

• COLONIZATION AND SUCCESSION OF SESSILE BIOTA AND FISHES IN A ARTIFICIAL REEF IN THE NOTH COAST OF RIO DE JANEIRO - BRAZIL (2002 - 2004) - Colonização e sucessão da biota séssil e de peixes em um recife artificial no litoral norte do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

• ScientificReports/CORAL TRANSPLANTATION AND RESTOCKING TO ACCELERATE THE RECOVERY ...In Puerto Rico Dr. Austin Kirby-Bowden.pdf

• Ortiz-Prosper, A.L. and Bowden-Kerby, W.A. 1999. Transformation of artificial concrete "reef ball” structure into living coral heads through the use of implants of juvenile massive corals. Abstract In: Proc. Int. Conf. on Scientific Aspects of Coral Reef Assessment, Monitoring and Restoration, NCRI. April 14-16, 1999, Ft Lauderdale, Florida. pg. 148.

• Artificial Reefs for Submerged and Subaerial Habitat Protection, Mitigation and Restoration by Dr. Lee Harris

• ARTIFICIAL REEF RESEARCH IN BROWARD COUNTY 1993-2000: A SUMMARY ...

• Hypothesis-based Restoration Study For Mitigation of a Damaged SE Florida Coral Reef- A Work in Progress-May 2003 Update

• Environmental Protection Agency's  April 2003 - Issue 13.2 > Sarasota Bay NEP Restores Reef Habitat

• ScientificReports/Lee Harris_ASR_RBBW.pdf

• 6 th International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2003 Design of low-crested (submerged) structures – an overview – Krystian W. Pilarczyk, Rijkswaterstaat, Road and Hydraulic Engineering Division

• COMPORTAMIENTO DEL DIQUE SUMERGIDO EN EL TRAMO PILOTO DE REHABILITACION DE PLAYAS UBICADO EN LA ZONA DEL REMATE DEL MALECON DE PROGRESO, YUCATAN

• Habitat Assessment Project.pdf for Sarasota Bay March 2003. Full report (6 megs)
  -(Microsoft) Word Summary of Project

• Progresso Reef Ball profile line results 1/2003 In Microsoft Excel Format

• Preliminary Power Point Data on Porto Progresso Mexico Reef Ball submerged breakwater project (en espanol)

• International Society for Reef Studies, Abstracts from European 2002 Meeting (Html)

• PortoMaria Coral Propagation & Reef Ball Report Nov. 2002 1 of 3; 2 of 3; 3 of 3 (All in PDF Format)

• Abstracts-IXth International Coral Reef Symposium in Bali (HTML FORMAT 300+ abstracts

• 30-Oct-02: Asexual Coral Propagation for the Aquarium Trade and for Reef Restoration Using Reef Balls.

• Tanzania Marine Ecology Conservation Programme (A proposed project with the Reef Ball Foundation and Worldcare Tanzania)

• Executive Summary Social and Economic Impacts of Artificial Reefs (PDF Format)

• October Photos, Poromari Reef Ball Monitoring Project, Curacao, PDF Format)

• Fish Counts for Oct, Portomari Reef Ball Monitoring Project, Curacao (PDF)

• Final Report on Social and Economic Impacts of Artificial Reefs (PDF 11 megs)

• INTERIM REPORT ON THE REEFBALLS AT LONG BAY NEW ZEALAND, 11/22/2002 

• Submerged Reef Structures for Habitat Enhancement and Shoreline Erosion Abatement by Lee E. Harris

• Reef Balls^TM: How Combining Designed Reefs with Oil Superstructures used as Artificial Reefs can help the overall reef system to better mimic natural reef systems

• INTERIM REPORT ON THE REEFBALLS AT LONG BAY NEW ZEALAND JULY 2002

• A Hydrodynamic Study of Artificial Reefs

• Development of alternative strategies (reef balls) for conservation and management of marine resources and wildlife in Cabo de la Vela, Col (LF)

• Benefits of Artificial Reefs (En Espanol) 

• Science and Technology Partnerships in Coastal Zone Management:A Sidney, British Colombia Study K. Conley (Institute of Ocean Sciences) and T. Curran (Canadian Hydrographic Service)

• Dr. Lee Harris of Florida Institute of Technology's Report on Gran Dominicus and Iberostar Resort Submerged Breakwater Reef Ball Projects including 4 years of data and final conclusions in PDF Format.

• The Minahasa Marine Habitat Enhancement Program (A Reef Ball Project by P.T. Newmount in Indonesia) is showcased in in conjunction with the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

• Four Seasons Resort, Maldives Monitoring Report Aug. 2002

• PADI AWARE Foundation, Europe: Reef Ball_official_presentation August, 2002 (Reef Balls in Europe)

• PortoMari Reef Ball Pictures Coral Plugs July 2002.pdf

• PortoMari Reef Ball Fish and Coral Survey July 2002.pdf

• July 2002 Report Gran Dominicus and Iberostar Reef Ball Breakwater Project Memo by Dr. Lee Harris

• Merida, Mexico Environmental Impact Study (In Spanish/En Espanol)
  (Centro de Investigación y de estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Mérida Departamento de Recursos del Mar Manifestación de Impacto Ambiental)

• [117c] - Supercritical CO2 Carbonated Cements - Characterization and Application as Artificial Coral Reefs

• Christopher Kri U (2001) Colonisation and growth of marine animals on artificial reefs at Batu Penyu, Talang-Satang National Park, Malaysia. Hornbill 5:nn-nn  

• A North American Practitioners Workshop for Marine Reef Research and Monitoring by Volunteer divers, 20 and 22nd of June, Sidney, British Columbia (PDF Format)

• Reef Balls ^TM: An advanced technique to mimic natural reef systems using designed artificial reefs   (Abstract of above in Arabic)

• Artificial Reef Research Project in Long Bay New Zealand, 2001.

• PortoMarea beach improvement nov 01

• Growth and Survivorship of Stony Coral Meandrina meandrites and Montastrea cavernosa Transplants to an Artificial Reef Environment: A Work in Progress. (May 2002)  E.A. Glynn, T.P. Quinn, D.P. Fahy, R.E. Dodge, D.S. Gilliam, and R.E. Spieler National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center

• Experimental Oculina Marine Reserve

• Hypothesis-based Restoration Study For Mitigation of a Damaged SE Florida Coral Reef A Work in Progress (May 2002), T.P. Quinn¹, E.A. Glynn¹, R.E. Dodge¹, K. Banks², L. Fisher², R.E. Spieler¹National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center

• Quick update PortoMari, April, 2002, coral transplants

• Deep Water Oculina Banks Report from The Slate, Jan. 2002 by John Reed, Senior Research Scientist Specialist, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution 

• Aplicaciones Diversas de Arrecifes Artificiales a Base de Elementos de Concreto (Espanol)

• Scientific Monitoring Report from PortoMari, Curacao (PDF Format) (Jan 2002)

• Scientific Monitoring Report from PortoMari, Curacao (PDF Format) (April 2002)

• Scientific Monitoring Report from PortoMari, Curacao (PDF Format) (June 2002)

• River Reef Design Project by Dr. Lee Harris (Draft)

• Environmental Protection Agency Report on Reef Balls under Docks and along seawalls

• Caribbean Island Hotel Beach Restoration Design Project By Dr. Harris (Draft)

• INTERIM REPORT ON THE ARTIFICIAL REEF: CONSTRUCTED IN THE LONG BAY-OKURA MARINE RESERVE, AUCKLAND

• Coraggio's Thesis, A Study of Reef Balls in Sarasota Bay, New College, Sarasota supported by a Reef Ball Foundation Grant

• Reef Balls used in conjunction (and to enhance the biology) with high vertical profile structures such as Ships or Oil Platforms.

• German Study Proves Microsilcia improves the fouling community on Reef Balls (In German, PDF Format)

• Gran Dominicus Hotel Beach Creation Project with Reef Balls

• Extra support graphs for the above report

• Reef Balls in the Baltic Sea, by Marilim

• SPARS Project, Sidney, BC, "Species Diversity on Reef Balls" (Fish and Invertebrates)

• Wave Reduction Report By Dr. Harris

• Artificial Reef Construction as a Soft Bottom Habitat Restoration Tool, Mote Marine June 30, 1997 by Culter and Truitt

• Draft Army Corp Techical Paper on Reef Balls as submerged breakwaters

• Stability Analysis for Cancun Hotel to use Reef Balls as a submerged breakwaterl

• Proposal for Reef Ball Submerged Breakwater-Name of Project Confidential

• Observations on the impact of Segmentation and Open Connection of the Last Mangrove Habitat on Barbados

• HYPOTHESIS-BASED RESTORATION STUDY FOR MITIGATION OF A
  S.E. FLORIDA U.S.A. CORAL REEF DAMAGED BY THE GROUNDING OF A NUCLEAR SUBMARINE

• Roberto De La Torre’s study in Cancun Mexico with Atlantis Submarine, "Fish Species Diversity on Reef Balls"

• Dr. Robin Sherman’s Report on Juvenile Fish Complexity at NOVA Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale

• Monitoring studies by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Marine Fisheries, Artificial Reef Program (Bill Horn, John Dodril, Tom Maher)

• Charlotte Harbor Artificial Reef Association studies of Reef Balls as under dock fish habitats

• Bill Figley of New Jersey’s Artificial Reef Program published results of the fouling community

• Project Reef Creator did a paper on Coral Reef Restoration with Reef Balls in Oman more...Page 1, Page 2 (German Translation)

• Brazil’s Instituto Ecoplan paper on Reef Balls

• Students at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton have documented monitoring of habitat development

• The Boy Scout’s High Adventure Sea Base in the Florida Keys has an ongoing Reef Ball monitoring program

• Occidental Petroleum conducted studies on Reef Balls in Qatar and documented success

• Seawall Enhancement Features in Residential Canals Tampa Bay, Florida

• The Island School, Cape Eleuthera, Bahamas, Summer '00 Artificial Reef Research

• Brazil Ecoplan Superinteressante, Jan. 1999 "Condominio Para Os Peixes" (Condominums for fish) in Portuguese with many color photos. 
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• Ed Adams, USNA, Jared Goodwin, USNA Student Research

• Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, "Reef Ball Artificial Reefs" (En En Espanol/ In Spanish
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• Comparison of Reef Balls to Other Materials, Manatee County Monitoring Grant Program, by The Reef Ball Foundation (being conducted over 2 years, 2002-2003)

• Nearly every Coastal US State artificial Reef Program has on-going artificial reef monitoring and studies on Reef Balls including; Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida (30 of 36 coastal counties have Reef Balls), Alabama, Georgia, Texas, California, Washington, and Puerto Rico

• Ongoing monitoring and study programs are associated with projects in Indonesia, Turks and Caicos, Island Ecosystem Workshops, Bahamas, Mandarin High School in Jacksonville FL,CNMI's coral reefs, American Somoa, Florida Keys, Sarasota, Qatar (Arabic), and many others.

• Stability Analysis By Florida Institute of Technology

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