Hard Bottom: Rocks, Reefs, and Wrecks
March 18, 2021
North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (2016)
Hard Bottom includes rock, reefs and wrecks and are crucial to the health of snapper and grouper species
Hard bottom habitat, also referred to as live bottom or reef, consists of exposed areas of rock or consolidated sediments that may or may not be characterized by a thin veneer of live or dead biota and is generally located in the ocean rather than in the estuarine system. Natural hard bottom is colonized to a varying extent by algae, sponges, soft coral, hard coral, and other sessile invertebrates. In South Atlantic waters, hard bottom can consist of exposed rock ledges or outcrops with vertical relief or can be relatively flat and covered by a thin veneer of sand.
Artificial reefs are structures constructed or placed in waters for the purpose of enhancing fishery resources. Because artificial reefs become colonized by algae, invertebrates, and other marine life, they provide additional hard bottom habitat and serve similar ecological functions for fish. Some of the materials used in artificial reef construction are vessels, concrete pipe, or prefabricated structures such as reef balls. The DMF Artificial Reef Program is responsible for deployment and maintenance of artificial reef sites in state and federal waters. There are 50 DMF-managed artificial reefs of varying construction in North Carolina, of which 29 are located in federal ocean waters, 13 in state ocean waters, and eight in estuarine waters
Hard bottom allows space for attachment for marine invertebrates and algae, and it's often the only source of structure in open shelf waters
Exposed hard substrate provides stable attachment surfaces for colonization by numerous marine invertebrates and algae. This productive three-dimensional habitat is often the only source of structural refuges in open shelf waters and a source of concentrated food. Most reef fish spend almost their entire life cycle on hard bottom, which serves as nursery, spawning, and foraging grounds. The presence of ocean hard bottom off North Carolina, along with appropriate water temperatures, allows for the existence of a temperate-to-subtropical reef fish community and a snapper-grouper fishery. Because of their importance for spawning, nursery, and foraging, all of the nearshore hard bottoms off North Carolina have been federally designated as Habitat Areas of Particular Concern for the snapper-grouper complex.
Hard Bottom is important for the commercial, recreational, and dive industry, bringing in millions of dollars to North Carolina every year
Between 2011 and 2013, the North Carolina commercial snapper-grouper fishery harvested an annual average of 1,638,434 lbs of fish (total of 5,015,570 lbs) with an annual
market value of over $4.2 million (total for 3 years - $12,567,964). During that same time period, recreational fisherman (private boats, charter boats, and head boats) harvested an average of 568,146 lbs of fish in the snapper- grouper complex/year, for a total of 1,204,439 lbs. Economic benefits also include revenue from the dive industry, since hard bottom reefs are popular dive sites.
There is little information on the health of hard bottoms in North Carolina, but black sea bass and grouper populations have improved in recent years, suggesting that hard bottom is in good general condition
The condition of shallow hard bottom in North Carolina state territorial waters is of particular importance to the health and stability of estuary-dependent snapper-grouper species that utilize this habitat as “way stations” or protective stopping points as they emigrate offshore. Because of market value, high recreational participation, and the associated fishing tackle industry, the offshore snapper-grouper complex supports productive commercial and recreational fisheries. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council reported that nearshore hard bottoms in the South Atlantic were considered to be in “good general” condition overall in 2002. Although adequate information exists on the distribution of hard bottom off the North Carolina coast, little information is available to evaluate the status and trends of hard bottom habitat in state territorial waters. The black sea bass populations north and south of Cape Hatteras and gag grouper have improved in the past few years.
Threats to nearshore hard bottom habitat in North Carolina include beach nourishment, certain fishing gear, and water quality degradation.
Sand from nourished beaches can also cover hard bottom structures. Studies have found that some hard bottom areas adjacent to nourished beaches were buried by sand washed off of nourished beaches. These once productive reef fishing grounds are no longer fished due to poor yield. Boat anchors and bottom trawls can uproot coral and tear loose chunks of rock. Poor water quality can affect growth or survival of the invertebrates living on hard bottom structure. A growing threat to hard bottom is the impact of the highly invasive Pacific lionfish on the reef community. This species has rapidly expanded in range from more southerly waters to North Carolina, and has exhibited extremely high predation rates on snapper and grouper species. Ocean acidification is another concern. More acidic ocean water over time is expected with increasing carbon dioxide levels which can cause calcium based organisms like corals and sponges to disintegrate.
50 artificial reefs are located in ocean waters along North Carolina’s coast and 8 are located in estuarine waters. In addition, there are numerous shipwrecks along the coast