As a peak in the global number of offshore oil rigs requiring decommissioning approaches, there is growing pressure for the implementation of a “rigs-to-reefs” program in the deep sea, whereby obsolete rigs are converted into artificial reefs.
Deep-water coral reefs are classified as vulnerable marine ecosystems, with trawling identified as the primary cause of reef destruction. Lophelia pertusa is the main reef-building species in deep-water coral reefs.
