Thirty Habitat Reef (HR) modules have been deployed off the coast of Mackay to restore critical fish habitats and improve reef resilience. 

These purpose-built concrete modules provide habitat for a range of marine species, with refuge holes and a cave compartment at the base of the structure. 

The Rubble to Reef project aims to address four key threats: 

• Loss of natural reef ecosystems from strike impacts, cyclones, and bleaching.
• Lack of connected vertical relief substrate for coral recolonisation.
• Fishing pressure on natural reefs.
• Loss of complex juvenile habitat.

With a roughened exterior surface, the locally-made HR modules have been engineered to encourage the settlement of marine sessile organisms, such as corals. 

The structures will be monitored for the next 30 years, with a focus on assessing fish abundance and diversity, structural stability, invasive species, and marine debris.  

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Fisheries Habitat Restoration Program and delivered through the Regional Land Partnerships model. 

Underwater drone close-up of Habitat Reef Module. Credit: Catchment Solutions