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California Artificial Reef Program

September 4, 2025

California Artificial Reef Program Plan

Technical Writing Group Gets to Work

Building off the momentum of the Tribal and open listening sessions held at the beginning of the year, California Sea Grant (CASG) has convened the Technical Writing Group (TWG) in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) to support the development of the California Artificial Reef Program (CARP) Plan.  The TWG is made up of twelve scientific and technical experts that have knowledge and expertise in biology, ecology, oceanography, human uses, tribal perspectives, fishing, fisheries, engineering, ecosystem services, habitat valuation, mitigation, resources management and monitoring. The experts on the TWG represent a wide range of affiliations including government agencies, California Native American Tribes, research institutes, and universities.

The TWG began its work on June 12, 2025, and will continue working through 2026 to compile the best available science and develop guidance to inform the development of future California artificial reef projects. This includes addressing topic areas related to defining terminology; performance of existing projects; design, materials and siting; connectivity; habitat conversion; mitigation; potential impacts, risks, and benefits; and monitoring recommendations for artificial reefs. The TWG’s initial efforts include

• Defining what type of project is an artificial reef in California.
• Considering the role of biological productivity and biodiversity in artificial reef development.
• Defining the types of ecosystem services artificial reefs may provide (e.g. shoreline protection, recreational opportunities, carbon sequestration, cultural uses, and research and education).
• Developing a short list of artificial reefs to include as case studies. Currently the TWG is considering including:
  • CDFW Historical Fishing Artificial Reefs
  • Wreck Alley and other CA Shipwrecks
  • Wheeler North/San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS) Artificial Reef
  • Palos Verdes Restoration Artificial Reef
  • Giant Marsh Living Shoreline Project

The goal is to produce a CARP Plan rooted in the best available science that is accessible and useful to a broad range of end users. The CARP Plan Project Team anticipates hosting listening sessions at the beginning of 2026 to report out on progress to date and present summaries of draft content. Interested parties will have the opportunity to provide feedback.

Consultation is available for California Native American Tribes on the CARP Plan at any time by contacting Tribal.Liaison@wildlife.ca.gov.

We look forward to your continued participation in the CARP Plan development. Please contact ArtificialReefs@wildlife.ca.gov with any questions or comments. You can also always get the latest updates at the CARP web page.

Why do marine production and biodiversity matter?

Artificial reefs that increase marine biological production and biodiversity are state of the art and the associated design considerations are shaping up to be a fundamental part of the California Artificial Reef Program (CARP) Plan.  It is an important consideration to ensure artificial reefs are designed and sited so reef-associated species are not simply attracted from surrounding habitat, but that new biomass is also produced. When artificial reefs produce biomass and support biodiversity, they can be utilized as a tool to increase fishery yields and other ecosystem services (benefits to humans) simultaneously.

Marine biological production is the increase of biomass (organic matter). It includes primary production by plants and algae that photosynthesize, as well as secondary production through growth of organisms that consume other organisms. Well-designed artificial reefs have been shown to increase both primary and secondary production leading to notable increases in native reef-associated species and ecosystem services.

Marine biodiversity includes all varieties of life from microscopic plankton to the largest blue whale in the ocean. For marine ecosystems to function at optimal levels, the full suite of species (e.g., bacteria, viruses, plankton, algae, fishes, invertebrates, and marine mammals), must be present and thriving. The CARP Plan will identify artificial reef design best practices that create the biological, chemical and physical conditions necessary to promote biodiversity and biological production.

Palos Verde Restoration Artificial Reef – A model for the future?

The Palos Verdes Restoration Artificial Reef Project was built in 2020 to restore rocky reef-associated species and habitat in the shallow subtidal area of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. These habitats were damaged by sedimentation from landslides, runoff and historical pollution from organic contaminants (DDT and PCBs) discharged into the ocean mostly from the Montrose Chemical Plant . The project is unique in California, in that it restored buried hard substrate habitat versus converting soft sediment to hard substrate.

The project has shown rapid colonization by rocky-reef species and positive ecological responses in fish density and biomass, kelp density, and benthic cover. Giant kelp has established quickly throughout the project. The high-relief design appears to be effective in reducing sedimentation issues and the complexity of the habitat is supporting settlement of a wide array of species.

The scientific design of the Palos Verdes Project and the extensive pre-project monitoring along the entire peninsula can be used to answer a host of scientific questions. This includes assessing whether minimizing the project footprint while maximizing production across taxa may be an optimal design. Minimizing the footprint may be better than designing artificial reefs to mimic the dominant profile of surrounding natural reefs, which may result in a bigger footprint for the same biological output. The Palos Verdes Restoration Artificial Reef Project and others are being used to develop best practices and inform the development of the California Artificial Reef Program (CARP) Plan.

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