초록 ▼

A family of man-made marine habitat systems and methods are disclosed for placement in various waterways to restore the natural marine environments that have been previously destroyed by commercial development as well as mitigate the damage caused by future development of coastal waters. The inventi

A family of man-made marine habitat systems and methods are disclosed for placement in various waterways to restore the natural marine environments that have been previously destroyed by commercial development as well as mitigate the damage caused by future development of coastal waters. The inventive marine habitat systems include individual habitat units having different configurations, more specifically, different sizes and arrangements of vertical and horizontal members, which are strategically placed in a restorative area in a body of water to serve as shelter for a variety of aquatic animals, including but not limited to, fish and a variety of bio-fouling organisms, including but not limited to oysters, mussels, and sea squirts. Novel anti-chafe devices and anchoring systems for use with the inventive marine habitat systems are also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A marine habitat system suitable for aiding in the restoration of aquatic ecosystems, said system comprising a unit having a top end, a bottom end, and two sides, wherein said unit further includes:a plurality of vertical plates positioned parallel to one another, said pl

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A marine habitat system suitable for aiding in the restoration of aquatic ecosystems, said system comprising a unit having a top end, a bottom end, and two sides, wherein said unit further includes:a plurality of vertical plates positioned parallel to one another, said plurality including adjacent vertical plates separated a distance from one another to define first open spaces therebetween, said plurality of vertical plates further including a front plate and a rear plate, each of said front and rear plates having outer walls which define a front end and a rear end of the unit, respectively; anda plurality of transverse plates disposed within said first open spaces, wherein said plurality of transverse plates are perpendicular to said adjacent vertical plates, said plurality of transverse plates including a first series of transverse plates arranged vertically between said adjacent vertical plates along each of said two sides, said first series of transverse plates including a top plate, a bottom plate, and at least one inner plate disposed between said top and bottom plates;wherein said top plate and said at least one inner plate of said first series are spaced a distance apart vertically from one another to define top and inner housing compartments, respectively; and wherein said bottom plate is spaced a distance apart vertically from a superjacent inner plate of said first series to define a bottom housing compartment, each of said housing compartments having a height; andwhereby the height of each of said housing compartments is sufficient to shelter a variety of aquatic animals throughout the growth and development of said animals.