Abstract: An artificial reef for marine life consisting of a system of flexible, buoyant geometric bodies. The bodies are each walled members formed of a plastics material and having a large plurality of holes or openings therein. Each of the bodies is buoyant and is anchored on the sea floor via respective variable length cable so that the bodies float within the water at various elevations. The bodies may be formed of the same size and shape or different sizes and shapes, with the openings therein also being of the same shape or different shapes and sizes. In certain embodiments the bodies are telescoped within each other, and in other embodiments the bodies are interconnected together in a manner such that their axes are in a nonparallel relationship to each other.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for protecting beaches and shorelands from erosion caused by wave action. The apparatus consists of a system of plural interconnected compartments disposed under the water on the seabed in an array which extends generally parallel to the shoreline of the beach. Each compartment is formed by plural flexible wall portions comprising an open mesh, buoyant material. The wall portions are anchored to the seabed so that they extend in a generally vertical orientation. Anchoring means are provided to enable the wall portions to move towards the beach with incoming waves while precluding those wall portions from moving backwards substantially beyond the vertical orientation with backwash waves, whereupon sand or other particulate material suspended in the water is enabled to drop out of suspension within the compartments during the backwash waves.