California reef, likely the world’s largest, is getting bigger

[WB Staff]

A half-mile offshore of Calafia State Beach in San Clemente, a bulldozer scoops quarry boulders off a barge and dumps them in the ocean. Nearby, divers examine placement of July’s rocks to make sure they match the blueprint. And on the elevated deck of a nearby barge, two biologists keep watch for sea lions and other mammals, calling a temporary halt to work when any swim into the construction area.

The project will more than double the size of what is already likely the world’s largest man-made reef, expanding it from 174 acres to 384 acres. Dubbed the Wheeler North Reef, the rocks provide a new place for kelp beds to take root, which in turn help spawn fish and other marine life.

It’s being built by Southern California Edison to compensate for damage to marine life resulting from the 1970s-era expansion of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Although the nuclear plant was shut down in 2013, the original reef fell short of attracting the 28 tons of fish required — necessitating the additional underwater structures.
More info and lots of pix at the OC Register: https://www.ocregister.com/2019/08/06/s ... ng-bigger/