Aquatic structures with adjustable buoyancy constructed in part with a vent valve for a buoyancy control device suitable for divers, where the vent valve may be opened by any combination of over-pressure, manual pressure relief or a powered means, where a force to a valve plug is applied by means of a spring that is constrained to prevent entirely lateral and angular movement but in which movement of the plug in the axis of the seat is unconstrained.

Systems and methods for creating habitats for benthic macro-invertebrate organisms and fish are provided. The system contains a platform and woody material attached thereto. The platform also contains openings for trapping useful organic materials, such as leaf pack and wood, and tassels that provide additional habitats or attached the woody material. The system may be installed in a river, stream, creek, or other fresh water source. The platform may be substantially flat, or may be bent to form a hollow-tube-shaped structure, with openings at both ends of the structure. The systems provide habitat, places to hold on during high flows, places to trap useable organics such as leaf pack and wood and nesting areas to support macrobenthic organisms. The system can be placed into a stream channel to restore the stream or maintain healthy conditions in a stream.

Floating islands are provided which have a permeable and buoyant matrix base with a top surface and pores therein and one or more solar panels. The solar panels are fixedly mounted to the matrix such that they are located at or above a waterline of the floating island. A heat sink is attached to at least one of the solar panels. The heat sink is configured to transfer heat from the solar panels to water disposed within the pores of the matrix base such that the solar panels are cooled and the water in the matrix base is warmed. Floating islands may also have a rotation system configured to rotate the matrix base such that the solar panels are facing the sun. The rotation system includes a pivot post, a cable windlass, a first cable coupled to the cable windlass, and a second cable coupled to the cable windlass.

A coral ring mount device and method for the propagative culture of sessile benthic marine organisms (for example, stony corals) employing either a ring, washer or threaded nut or similar as a propagule mount upon which the coral is set in order to attach, grow and overgrow within a coral nursery system. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, once the coral is grown onto the ring mount and to its requisite size and condition, the ring mount becomes the washer through which passes a screw to secure the ring and coral to the seafloor.

A coral ring mount device and method for the propagative culture of sessile benthic marine organisms (for example, stony corals) employing either a ring, washer or threaded nut or similar as a propagule mount upon which the coral is set in order to attach, grow and overgrow within a coral nursery system. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, once the coral is grown onto the ring mount and to its requisite size and condition, the ring mount becomes the washer through which passes a screw to secure the ring and coral to the seafloor.

A rapidly deployable underwater coral cultivation system comprising a tensioned propagule support line or rod, and a propagule-encircling loop for attachment thereto, wherein the propagules' tissues and skeleton overgrow the line/rod. Multiple propagules of a single genetic clone on a line/rod may fuse into a single linear coral colony, whereby the natural structural and anti-fouling attributes of the target organism provide structural rigidity to the system and high survivorship of the live material in nursery culture. A preferred embodiment may provide a low to no maintenance protocol soon after deployment thereby allowing for set and forget through self-planting endpoints. In some embodiments, a vertical arrangement provides full leverage advantage to the support buoy as growth increases (coral) weight. In some embodiments, the vertically-oriented single genetic clone facilitates gamete capture for facilitated spawning in coral (ecosystem) enhancement and restoration.

A rapidly deployable underwater coral cultivation system comprising a tensioned propagule support line or rod, and a propagule-encircling loop for attachment thereto, wherein the propagules' tissues and skeleton overgrow the line/rod. Multiple propagules of a single genetic clone on a line/rod may fuse into a single linear coral colony, whereby the natural structural and anti-fouling attributes of the target organism provide structural rigidity to the system and high survivorship of the live material in nursery culture. A preferred embodiment may provide a low to no maintenance protocol soon after deployment thereby allowing for set and forget through self-planting endpoints. In some embodiments, a vertical arrangement provides full leverage advantage to the support buoy as growth increases (coral) weight. In some embodiments, the vertically-oriented single genetic clone facilitates gamete capture for facilitated spawning in coral (ecosystem) enhancement and restoration.

The present invention discloses a homogeneous microstructured ceramic material that allows replicating the microstructure of the skeleton of a stony coral, as well as its physical, chemical, and biological behavior, useful for promoting the growth of biological material and obtaining a scalable structure for the standardized measurement of seafloor parameters. Furthermore, it discloses a method that allows obtaining the material with the desired properties and a device to be placed in the oceans and wetlands, which comprises said microstructured ceramic material.

The present invention discloses a homogeneous microstructured ceramic material that allows replicating the microstructure of the skeleton of a stony coral, as well as its physical, chemical, and biological behavior, useful for promoting the growth of biological material and obtaining a scalable structure for the standardized measurement of seafloor parameters. Furthermore, it discloses a method that allows obtaining the material with the desired properties and a device to be placed in the oceans and wetlands, which comprises said microstructured ceramic material.

The present disclosure discloses a dredged soil utilization-based artificial reef structure and a processing method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of artificial reefs. The dredged soil utilization-based artificial reef structure includes a dredged soil artificial reef structure, and the dredged soil artificial reef structure includes a first dredged soil reef, a second dredged soil reef, and a third dredged soil reef; annular sliding chutes are formed in eccentric positions of upper surfaces of the first dredged soil reef and the second dredged soil reef; annular metal meshes are movably connected into the two annular sliding chutes; and a heavy block, a first floating block, and a second floating block are respectively embedded into placement slots of the three reefs in sequence. The artificial reef structure is processed by using dredged soil. Dredged soil resources are from the ocean and then are returned to ocean restoration, which satisfies the concept of resource recycling. Furthermore, a surface of dredged soil has multiple grooves, which is convenient for attachment of corals to achieve the purpose of ecological restoration of coral reefs, so that habitats, breeding places, and foraging places are provided for aquatic organisms such as fish to escape from natural enemies, playing an important role in the stability of an ecological system.