Irving Shipbuilding Takes Part in Reef Installation Project

Clean Nova Scotia is expanding their restoration work beyond freshwater habitat and into marine coastal environments through the launch of the Atlantic Reef Ball Program. Partnering with Clean Nova Scotia on the inaugural reef installation is Irving Shipbuilding, which has provided support for the construction and deployment of 100 Reef Balls in the Halifax Harbour.

The program creates habitat for marine life in shallow coastal waters by placing cement structures known as Reef Balls on the ocean floor. The first artificial reef will be installed on Tuesday, October 29, following an 11 a.m. announcement near Black Rock Beach, Point Pleasant Park.

Clean Nova Scotia is currently capable of producing two styles of Reef Balls, Pallet and Layer Cake, to increase habitat diversity. They are also the first to install a Layer Cake Reef Ball in Canadian waters.

“Irving Shipbuilding is in the midst of investing $300M into new facilities, equipment, systems and processes to ready ourselves to build the Royal Canadian Navy’s new combat fleet,” says Kevin McCoy, President, Irving Shipbuilding. “To do that, we needed to repatriate a portion of the harbour for a land level facility on which to assemble the ships. Our roots on Halifax Harbour go back centuries and we feel a real responsibility to our home. Supporting this Clean Nova Scotia habitat restoration project was the perfect way to ensure healthy, growing fish habitats well into the future. We encourage other organizations to do the same.”

For more information about Clean Nova Scotia click here.

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Press Release, October 30, 2013