and Results/Conclusions
During fall and winter 2005, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) decommissioned and demolished the remnants of PRC-421 “Bird Island”, an abandoned 1930’s era oil production pier structure near the city of Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California USA. Bird Island Reef (BIR) was established in October 2005 and represents an accomplishment of cooperation between industry and environmental resource agencies to develop a project that resulted in an enhanced marine environment rather than an undue environmental impact. Throughout the demolition process ARCO collected and recycled over 100,000 pounds of scrap metal from the dilapidated pier structure. Additionally, obsolete oil field structures were removed from the sea floor. A medium relief subtidal reef was created from large concrete pier pilings and covered with quarry rock. The reef lies approximately 900 feet offshore of the coastline in roughly 35 feet of water. The reef was designed to provide complex habitat that would support the establishment of communities of algae, invertebrates and fishes that function similarly to the surrounding natural reef areas. BIR also provides an ideal study platform for the study of the development of the artificial reef community. Studies have shown that within the first year of placement, BIR supported a vibrant kelp forest and developing reef community. The reef continues to develop and data show that the community at BIR functions similarly to those of the surrounding rocky reef habitats in the area.
