what is a Reef ball?

Eternal Reefs is part of the Reef Ball family of companies, and The Reef Ball Foundation and Reef Innovations are strategic partners.

Reef balls are the designed materials that Eternal Reefs uses for memorialization. Collectively, the Reef Ball family of companies is known as the foremost experienced reef builders in the world and our award-winning work is the gold standard for designed artificial reefs.

Reef Innovations works with the Reef Ball Foundation worldwide, establishing new habitat for fish and other sea life. The entire Reef Ball family of companies is committed to preserving, protecting and enhancing the marine environment for future generations.

Reef balls are the only designed reef materials that from the beginning were designed to replicate the natural substrata that Mother Nature uses for her reef development. Used in more than 70 countries, on more than 5,000 projects for a wide variety of purposes, there are more than 750,000 reef balls in the oceans around the world.

Brilliantly designed, the round, hollow and vented form leaves little space for storm energy to build up and move reef balls. With more than 80 percent of the weight of the reef ball in the lower quarter of the reef, they are extremely stable in the marine environment. We will never say that Mother Nature can’t do something, but if reef balls are moved there is going to be much more serious damage on shore.

A specialized concrete formula brings the pH content of the reef ball close to neutral. With the neutral pH content and a textured outer surface, the reef ball is the perfect medium to allow the micro-organisms (those little buds of life floating in the currents looking for a home) a place to land, burrow and mature, and start to propagate before predators can feed on them.

Fish will migrate onto the reef balls as soon as they are placed. Depending on water conditions, we see growth on these reefs in as little as a few weeks. As these reef balls mature they become permanent additions to the marine environment, continuing to develop and support marine life forever.

Reef balls are well designed, well tested and used throughout the world for designed reef development. Simply put, they stay where they are supposed to stay and do what they are supposed to do. - from Eternal Reefs Website