Reefs are rocks that can to be found underneath the surface of the water. They have been discovered and researches have been carried out on them ever since ships sailed the seas looking for hidden treasures. They later became on of the nature's treasure that people tried to replicate in order to enjoy benefits brought by them. Reefs are created through a long process, by constant deposition of sand or rocks, or other natural processes that take place beneath the sea surface.
The development of technology brought along the creation of artificial reefs, and these man-made constructions soon became a matter of debate. Some argued that these reefs are not actually real ones and therefore their appearance is useless. Furthermore, there were voices that said that artificial reefs are only created to attract diverse fish species and eventually lead to the destruction of the natural environment. Of course, there were sustainers of the artificial method, as it is widely know that the aquatic fauna is decreasing more and more each year. . Artificial reefs are created by using different methods, and some of them are actually older that the discovery of these underwater structures. Most of the artificial reefs appeared due to the shipwrecks that took place throughout history. The mechanism of reef formation is quite simple. The microorganisms settled around the newly found body, namely the sunk ship, and developed there. Once people discovered this mechanism, originally employed by nature itself, they started using it for different reasons, such as providing surfaces for algae to attach, especially in areas in which marine life is almost absent, improving the hydrodynamics for surfing or control the erosion level on beaches.
Artificial reefs are constantly being brought up in different areas of the world and, as in any other field of interest; there are arguments for and against their usage. Fishermen, surfers and some legal authorities sustain them, while some scientists and ecologist organizations argue that nature should lead its own course.
