LTC 064-2023 Update on University of Miami's Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge ULINK Pilot Project on Artificial ReefsMAIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# 064-2023 LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
Honorable Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
Ana T. Hudak. ciy Mana~\)(
February 7, 2023 \}Al v \
SUBJECT: Update on University of Miami's Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge ("ULINK")
Pilot Project on Artificial Reefs
Artificial reefs create habitat for a variety of marine life and have the potential to protect upland
properties by reducing wave energy and wave-driven flooding. The City of Miami Beach has
partnered with the University of Miami's Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge ("ULINK") Coastal
Resilience Team on an innovative project to develop and test coastal resilience strategies that
combine grey and green infrastructures to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities. The
City allocated funding of $20,000. This project also supports our broader efforts to Build Reef
Biodiversity and Defenses, an action in the Resilient305 Strategy, adopted by the City
Commission in July of 2019.
Phase 1 of the project consisted of developing and testing restoration strategies that combine
gray (cement-based) and green (nature-based) defenses to protect our coast and has been
completed. Phase 2 of the project, includes completing a vulnerability and physical modeling to
move the project into implementation and deployment. City staff has been working with the ULINK
Coastal Resilience team in order to implement the phase 2 of this project. The pilot will test the
performance of coral fragments mounted onto modules under natural conditions and then, coral
survivorship and growth will be monitored at pilot sites. The ULINK Coastal Resilience team used
their one-of-a-kind wave tank at the SUSTAIN lab to test different man-made reef designs under
simulated storm wind and wave conditions in order to determine the best structures to be placed
during the pilot.
Deployment of the artificial reef modules is weather dependent but is anticipated to begin in
February offshore of North Beach Oceanside Park. A few months later, the scientists are planning
to outplant corals on the structures. The Environment and Sustainability Department is working
closely with the ULINK Coastal Resilience team to provide the most up to date information and
ensure smooth operation of the project.
More in-depth information about the project is available: https://ecoreef.earth.miami.edu and
https://www.mbrisingabove.com/climate-mitigation/natural-resources/coral-reefs/.
If you have any questions related to the project please contact me or Amy Knowles, Chief
Resili~nce Offic rat amyknowles@miamibeachfl.gov.
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