1. MULTI-PURPOSE REEFS
a type of coastal structure that
reduces erosion, enhances marine habitat and
provides a valuable recreational resource.

2. MULTI-PURPOSE REEFS
a type of coastal structure that
reduces erosion, enhances marine habitat and
provides a valuable recreational resource.
ASR is one of the few companies in the world developing innovative
solutions for coastal protection that work in concert with natural
processes rather than against them.
A Multi-Purpose Reef is a type of coastal structure that can reduce
erosion, enhance marine habitat and provide a valuable recreational
resource. The concepts behind our Multi-Purpose Reef designs are
based on the observed and measured response of a shoreline to
naturally occurring offshore reefs as well as to man-made structures
positioned offshore.

3. The development of Multi-Purpose Reefs has been pushed forward
by the synergistic efforts of a wide range of experts including coastal
scientists and engineers, biologists, planners and environmental
managers, so that the coastal processes and the environmental
implications can be fully described and accounted for. As a result,
our designs are able to fulfill the demands of the coastal engineering
industry while still considering the marine environment, beach users
and the coastal community at large.
The key to the effectiveness of a Multi-Purpose Reef is the formation
of a salient – a wider, more stable section of a beach caused by the
reef. This effect is a phenomenon that has been well documented
and quantified in peer reviewed technical journals and coastal
engineering manuals. ASR has merged these concepts with our
understanding of marine systems to develop technology that will
protect and stabilize the coastline, enhance marine ecology, and,
where the natural conditions will allow, create an enhanced
recreational experience.

4. Multi-Purpose Reefs actually consider the value that beaches
provide to local communities by serving to protect the beach itself.
Seawalls and other forms of coastal armoring do not actually protect
the beach; they only protect the land behind it. We firmly believe that
beaches are valuable assets to communities that create a myriad of
benefits both from a socio-economic and coastal protection
standpoint.

5. When compared to traditional solutions like seawalls, Multi-Purpose
Reefs have four distinct benefits:
• Reefs reduce and redirect the wave energy affecting the coast
thereby reducing the erosional stress and stabilizing the shoreline
• Reefs are submerged and located offshore and therefore do not
degrade the natural beauty of the beach
• Reefs provide a solid substrate which creates additional habitat
for marine animals and promotes biodiversity and enhanced
ecosystems
• Reefs create a recreational amenity for surfing, diving, and fishing