COLONIZATION AND VIABILITY OF AN ARTIFICIAL STEEL REEF IN FALSE BAY, SOUTH AFRICA

SUMMARY Colonization of the wreck of an obsolete naval frigate scuttled in 34 m depth in False Bay, South Africa showed a characteristic pattern of early settlement, rapid growth and decline towards the end of the first year. Initial colonization was by barnacles followed by mussels, which became the most important organisms reaching a biomass of some 790 g.m-2 (wet mass) in places. After two years the mussel population had all but disappeared and the wreck appeared barren. A stable reef community was never established and the small number of species present—28 at its peak, declining to 10 after one year—was subject to catastrophic events both biotic and abiotic, which periodically destroyed large sections of the community.