Synthetic aquatic structure

Abstract

A synthetic structure is used to simultaneously provide food, shelter and reproductive support for many aquatic species. Synthetic seagrass may be produced in the form of flexible mats with a plurality of ribbons. The lower ends of the ribbons are anchored to the benthos. The other ends of the ribbons are buoyantly supported in the photic zone. The ribbons may be economically produced in plural coextensive layers, with one layer providing buoyancy and the other layer being structured to enhance biological growth. The system may be tailored for use in desired applications by selecting the surface area structure, ribbon spacing and density, and other parameters. The system may be used to remove nutrients and/or toxic materials from water.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A synthetic structure, comprising: 
 buoyant material; and    a high surface area structure for promoting biological growth.    
     
     
         2 . The synthetic structure of  claim 1 , wherein said high surface area structure includes open cell foam.  
     
     
         3 . The synthetic structure of  claim 1 , wherein said high surface area structure includes spun polyester batting.  
     
     
         4 . The synthetic structure of  claim 1 , wherein said high surface area structure includes microporous granular particles.  
     
     
         5 . The synthetic structure of  claim 1 , wherein said buoyant material includes closed cell foam.  
     
     
         6 . The synthetic structure of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one ribbon, said high surface area structure being in the form of an elongated strip supported by said ribbon, and wherein said closed cell foam is in the form of an elongated strip adhered to said high surface area structure.  
     
     
         7 . The synthetic structure of  claim 6 , further comprising adhesive material located between said elongated strips.  
     
     
         8 . The synthetic structure of  claim 1 , further comprising ribbons having free upper ends, and wherein said buoyant material is located at said free upper ends.  
     
     
         9 . A synthetic seagrass structure for simultaneously providing food, predation shelter, and breeding enhancement for biological species, said synthetic seagrass structure comprising: 
 a plurality of ribbons; and    an anchor structure for anchoring said ribbons to the benthos; and    wherein each of said ribbons include (A) a buoyant layer for causing said ribbon to extend upward in the photic zone and (B) a second layer structured to enhance is biological growth.    
     
     
         10 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 9 , wherein said ribbons are arranged in rows.  
     
     
         11 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 9 , wherein said rows are spaced at intervals of from about five to about fifteen centimeters.  
     
     
         12 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 9 , wherein said buoyant layers include a polymeric plastic closed cell foam.  
     
     
         13 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein said closed cell foam includes polyethylene.  
     
     
         14 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein said closed cell foam includes polyurethane.  
     
     
         15 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein said closed cell foam includes polypropylene.  
     
     
         16 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein the specific gravity of said buoyant layers is from about 0.05 to about 0.6 grams per cubic centimeter.  
     
     
         17 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein said ribbons are from one to five centimeters wide and from one to four meters long.  
     
     
         18 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 17 , wherein the stiffness of said ribbons is from 0.5 to 3.0 grams per centimeters as measured by ASTM D5342.  
     
     
         19 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein said second layers include an open cell foam plastic material with cell sizes in the range of from twenty to two thousand microns.  
     
     
         20 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein said second layers include fine continuous filaments forming a complex three dimensional structure of batting having a surface area in the range of from one to one hundred square meters per gram.  
     
     
         21 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 12 , wherein said second layers include a porous granular material adhered to said buoyant layers.  
     
     
         22 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 21 , further comprising nutrients for enhancing algal growth, said nutrients being located within said porous granular material.  
     
     
         23 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 21 , further comprising nutrients for enhancing bacterial growth, said nutrients being located within said porous granular material.  
     
     
         24 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 21 , further comprising nutrients to encourage the growth of microorganisms for environmental cleanup, said nutrients being located within said porous granular material.  
     
     
         25 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 21 , further comprising microorganisms implanted in the high surface area structure.  
     
     
         26 . The synthetic seagrass structure of  claim 25 , wherein said microorganisms include bacteria.  
     
     
         27 . A method of controlling an aquatic environment, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing synthetic ribbons with a high surface area structure;    causing upper portions of said synthetic ribbons to float within said aquatic environment; and    causing water within said aquatic environment to contact said high surface area structure.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the step of selecting said high surface area structure, and wherein said step of providing said synthetic ribbons occurs subsequent to said step of selecting said high surface area structure.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the step of removing nutrients from said aquatic environment.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the step of removing metal from said aquatic environment buy bioaccumulation on said synthetic ribbons.