Post 840: November 27th, 2021. Oil rigs aren't the regular poster-children of conservation - but there is a way they can actually benefit the planet, rather than destroy it. . Starting in the 1980s with the National Fishing Enhancement Act, unused/old oil rigs can now be transformed into artificial reefs instead of being completely deconstructed. While the oil well is still capped and the equipment is removed by the oil company, the underwater beams are kept in place to serve as the infrastructure to a marine sanctuary. Over 500 defunct oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have already been converted to man-made reefs since the legislation passed. Oil companies oftentimes go this route when closing a rig because it is cheaper than removing the beams thousands of feet below the surface, but marine conservation groups also say that this new method can actually be one of the best ways to rebuild at-risk populations. Even in California, oil rigs have proven vital in giving safe harbor to the critically endangered bocaccio rockfish - with more than 400,000 fish found at just six platforms! . How exactly these beams help rebuild threatened populations is almost entirely in the 'vertical' aspect. Naturally, many fish species leave the protection of shallow water reefs as they mature (seeking out deeper, more open waters). However, with a vertical reef, instead of leaving the protection of the reef, adult fish can simply move deeper down the beams. . . Read more about converting rigs to reefs: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210126-the-richest-human-made-marine-habitats-in-the-world . Graphic shows an oil rig. The factoid reads: "Over 500 defunct oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have been converted into vertical reefs." . . #rigstoreefs #artificialreefs #animalconservation #marineconservation #oldoilrigs #gogreen #sustainablerigs #pixelplanet #pixelplanettoday #pixelart #planetfacts #artivism #climatedesign