| dc.description.abstract | The report, "Criteria for Underwater Recreational Design," accomplished two major goals. The first proved that structures designed specifically for the diver and management of the ecosystem are more responsive to diver and ecosystem needs than present artificial reefs. The second established a comprehensive set of guidelines by which a diving reed should be designed. External management criteria, site selection criteria, and internal management criteria were all determined.
The research process consisted of seven major aspects. These included introduction, identification of diver and ecosystem needs, evaluation of existing natural diving environments, evaluation of present artificial reefs, synthesis of ecosystem and diver management considerations and design criteria, legal and economic considerations, and conclusion. Within the conclusion, artificial reefs were compare to designed diving reefs based on the established management considerations. The designed diving reef satisfied 85% of those considerations while the next best artificial reef satisfied only 50% of the needs. | en |
