{"product_id":"can-we-build-a-better-reef-off-new-yorks-coast-were-reimagining-ocean-infrastructure-as-habitat-for-fish-and-wildlife","title":"Can We Build a Better Reef? Off New York's coast, we're reimagining ocean infrastructure as habitat for fish and wildlife.","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe work begins in the dark. Before the sun rises, the research team loads gear onto the boat—coolers packed with ice, waterproof cases of electronics and bundles of traps rigged with whale-safe lines. The hum of engines breaks the quiet as they head out from Jones Inlet, navigating toward the Atlantic Beach Artificial Reef off Long Island.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the reef, the ocean floor tells a story of transformation. Before it was built, the underwater landscape was a flat stretch of sand and mud, with few places for marine life to thrive. Now, it features strategically placed concrete slabs, steel decking, retired vessels and rock piles—some from NYC subway tunneling—that offer crevices and ledges mimicking natural habitat in high demand. These materials are a magnet for black sea bass, lobsters, flounder, porgies, tautog—and the anglers who chase them. One of New York State’s designated 16 artificial reefs, it’s part of a network where underwater structures, both natural and human-made, have become bustling neighborhoods of ocean life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo better understand how these structures sustain marine communities, scientists must look below the surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImage Credit: Pierre Bouyer, Unsplash \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Frazer, The Nature Conservancy","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48309717401849,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0274\/5768\/3540\/files\/unnamed_ebd21965-303c-4c37-aeaa-75e996de681a.jpg?v=1776831236","url":"https:\/\/www.investableoceans.com\/products\/can-we-build-a-better-reef-off-new-yorks-coast-were-reimagining-ocean-infrastructure-as-habitat-for-fish-and-wildlife","provider":"Investable Oceans","version":"1.0","type":"link"}