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Marine ecological engineering

Mapped US artificial reef footprint

Nature Sustainability volume 7, pages 100–101 (2024)Cite this article

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Myriad structures, from purpose-built concrete modules to decommissioned petroleum platforms, have been deployed in US waters to create artificial reefs. Assessing their spatial coverage would help marine spatial planning but the task is challenging. Now a study does that and reveals some important ecological insights.

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Fig. 1: Footprint and connectivity of marine habitats.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LAGAM, Université de Montpellier 3 Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France

    Sylvain Pioch

  2. School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    William F. Patterson III

Authors
  1. Sylvain Pioch
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  2. William F. Patterson III
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Correspondence to Sylvain Pioch.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Pioch, S., Patterson, W.F. Mapped US artificial reef footprint. Nat Sustain 7, 100–101 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01284-z

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