Mooring habitat structure

Abstract

A container for underwater placement on a sea, lake or river bottom. The container has openings in the sides, top and bottom and is filled with ballast of large boulders, cobble, crushed coral, cast concrete modules or other materials. The openings allow water and water currents, as well as marine organisms, to pass freely therethrough. Over time, a wide assortment of marine organisms infiltrate and colonize the nooks, crevices and cavities of the ballast, thus utilizing the habitat as they would an artificial reef. One or more hitch points are provided on the container for attaching mooring lines for ships, boats, floating wind turbines or other floating structures, thereby allowing the artificial reef to anchor such structures.

Description

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a Continuation-in-Part Patent Application of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 983,267 for ARTIFICIAL REEF ANCHOR STRUCTURE filed Nov. 8, 2007.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to mooring devices and, more particularly, to a specialized mooring system that provides habitat that is attractive to a wide variety of underwater organisms.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Artificial reefs are commonly found around the world. Some are constructed to protect harbors or beaches from wind, wave or tidal forces. These types of reefs are often constructed of large, boulder-sized stones or concrete modules cast in a variety of shapes and sizes.[0004]Reefs designed for protection purposes generally extend above the water line so as to deflect the forces of wind, wave or tide. These protective artificial reefs can be of any size or shape; sometimes they are circular, semi-circular, curved or straight. When a reef...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024]The invention provides a container for underwater placement on a sea, lake or river bottom. The container has openings in the sides, top and bottom and is filled with ballast of large boulders or other materials. The openings allow water currents, as well as marine organisms, to pass freely therethrough. Over time, marine organisms colonize the cavity areas of the ballast, thus utilizing the habitat within the container as an artificial reef. One or more hitch points are provided on the container for attaching mooring lines, thereby allowing the container to serve as an anchor for boats, ships, aquaculture systems, wind turbines, rigs and other floating apparatus.

[0027]Another object of the invention is to provide a mooring habitat structure that has more than one habitat zone for marine life, thus providing a structure that promotes diversity as well as aggregation of marine life.

[0028]A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring habitat structure comprising a container with exterior walls that are textured or grooved, thus providing an increased surface area that is conducive to the colonization of marine life.

[0029]A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring habitat structure that is constructed to allow fish traps, nets, baited hooks or other collection means to be lowered into the interior portions of the mooring habitat structure, thus providing fishermen using those means better access to the fish or other marine life that may reside within the reef.

[0031]A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring habitat structure that is constructed in a manner that allows it to function effectively on a variety of underwater ground, whether the ground slope is flat or steeply pitched, or whether the ground surface is smooth or strewn with rocks and other irregular features.

Problems solved by technology

The interior spaces of the structures provide sanctuary to small fish and other organisms, while limiting access to larger, predatory fish.

While a number of the above cited patents employ means to hold them in place on the marine bottom, none of the above patents functions as an anchor for mooring floating vessels or structures.

In summary, none of the above artificial reefs can in any respect serve the function of an anchor for anything but itself.

Individually, the blocks are transportable by helicopter, but when assembled on the base skid they cumulatively can weigh dozens of tons.

German document DE 3201975 shows no internal members or struts connecting to the respective sidewalls, as such internal structural features would prohibit the movement of the sidewalls, thereby defeating the purpose of the apparatus.

These drag embedded anchors generally require long mooring lines to function effectively.

The above described permanent and portable devices may inadvertently attract marine organisms, as will virtually any object which resides on submerged ground in either freshwater or salt water environment.

While it is well known that such structures attract marine organisms, the underwater components of these structures are not in any sense a “reef,” as they do not have the requisite components of piled rocks, boulders, gravel, concrete modules or crushed coral which create myriad nooks, crannies, ledges, crevices and cavities which both natural and artificial reefs present.

Images