Two busloads of growth-minded city slickers rolled onto St. Simons Island Tuesday dragging a dozen prefabricated housing units in their wake. Their goal wasn't to meet the luxury seaside living needs of butchers, bakers or candlestick makers. It was to provide underwater digs for sea trout, crabs, starfish and other critters. The erstwhile builders came in the form of about 75 fifth graders enrolled at the Walker School in Marietta. If they work as intended, the reef balls will be a tremendous help for the coast, according to student Jeremy Walker.
Reef balls are hollow concrete domes shot through with holes.
When placed under water, they promote the formation of coral communities that attach to the surface of the ball and attract fish and other creatures in search of food and hiding places on the sea floor. The individual units come in varying sizes, heights and thicknesses, and weigh anywhere from six to 90 pounds. Most of the weight is within one foot of the bottom outside edge, so they're less likely to shift with currents and the upheaval of storms. A global organization called the Reef Ball Foundation provides grants for obtaining Reef Ball molds for anyone interested in creating units for new or existing artificial reefs. This is the first time they've been used in the construction of artificial reefs off the Georgia coast.