Abstract

The “Augustin Fresnel”, a buoy tender ship, 53 m long with a 660 gross tonnage, was willingly sunk on the Caribbean coast of Guadeloupe on July 9th 2003, on a 30 m depth sandy bottom. The purpose of such an action was to create an artificial reef and to provide a new attractive spot for recreational diving. Prior to be sunk, the ship was cleaned from pollutants. A study of the colonization of the wreck by benthic organisms and fishes started on July 13th 2003 and was continued on a monthly base until December 2005 and annually later on. During each visit to the wreck, benthic biodiversity was evaluated on a qualitative basis whereas fishes were quantitatively censused and the size of each fish estimated. A total of 118 species of benthic organisms were recorded. Their settlement was not permanent and 50 to 60 species were observed at each visit. Concerning fish communities, 60 species were censused. Colonization was due both to adult and juvenile fishes. The recruitment of juveniles was submitted to a seasonal cycle. The number of species observed increased during the first year and remained stable later on. After elimination of occasional fish visitors, the average fish biodiversity fluctuated around 50 species. Considering the cumulated surface of the wreck decks, the average fish biomass reached 1550 kg.kg.ha-1. If compared to the average fish biomass of a nearby coral reef averaging 1900 kg.ha-1, we can assert that shipwrecks represent a good artificial habitat for coral reef fishes.

PDF Preview