Mooring habitat structure

Abstract

A container for underwater placement on a sea, lake or river bottom. The container has openings in the sides, top and bottom and is filled with ballast of large boulders, cobble, crushed coral, cast concrete modules or other materials. The openings allow water and water currents, as well as marine organisms, to pass freely therethrough. Over time, a wide assortment of marine organisms infiltrate and colonize the nooks, crevices and cavities of the ballast, thus utilizing the habitat as they would an artificial reef. One or more hitch points are provided on the container for attaching mooring lines for ships, boats, floating wind turbines or other floating structures, thereby allowing the artificial reef to anchor such structures.

1 . A mooring habitat structure for securing at least one mooring line to floating structures while simultaneously providing habitat for underwater organisms, comprising:
 containment means having a vertical axis and a first and a second set of apertures therein, said second set of apertures having interior dimensions greater than said first set of apertures;   a first mass of ballast material disposed in said containment means to anchor said containment means;   a second mass of ballast material in said containment means to create habitat to attract marine organisms;   at least one hitch point attached to said containment means for connecting mooring lines thereto; and   a planar floor portion whose plane is disposed at an angle between 90 degrees and 135 degrees relative to said vertical axis of said containment means.   
   
   
       2 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said first set of apertures comprises openings at least 5.0 inches in diameter and said second set of apertures comprises openings greater than 5.0 inches in diameter. 
   
   
       3 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said first mass of ballast material comprises stones or objects uniformly larger than said first set of apertures and wherein said second mass of ballast material comprises stones or objects uniformly larger than said second set of apertures. 
   
   
       4 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said second mass of ballast material comprises stones or objects uniformly larger than said stones or said objects comprising said first mass of ballast material. 
   
   
       5 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said first mass of ballast material is disposed in said containment means in registry with said first set of apertures and said second mass of ballast material is disposed in said containment means in registry with said second set of apertures. 
   
   
       6 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said containment means comprises exterior walls and said exterior walls of said containment means comprise a surface texture from the following group: grooved, stippled and pebbled. 
   
   
       7 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said planar floor of said containment means comprises cables, rope, cordage, straps or other pliant materials that span wall to wall in a crisscross or fishnet pattern. 
   
   
       8 . A mooring habitat structure for providing an anchor for securing a plurality of mooring lines to floating structures while simultaneously providing habitat for underwater organisms, comprising:
 containment means of substantially rigid construction having sidewalls and a plurality of apertures formed therein, and at least one hitch point for mooring lines;   a planar floor portion;   a plurality of interior strut members connected to said sidewalls of said containment means; and   heavier than water ballast disposed in said containment means.   
   
   
       9 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said strut members extend from said planar floor portion of said containment means to said sidewalls of said containment means and thence through said sidewalls of said containment means to terminate at said hitch points. 
   
   
       10 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 8 , further comprising an interior post member joined to said interior strut members. 
   
   
       11 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein said interior post member extends vertically from said planar floor of said containment means to terminate at said at least one hitch point. 
   
   
       12 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said ballast comprises a stratification of ballast sizes. 
   
   
       13 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said containment means comprises substantially rigid, immovable, non-compressible, non-collapsible and otherwise unitary sidewalls. 
   
   
       14 . A mooring habitat structure for providing an anchor for securing a plurality of mooring lines to floating structures while simultaneously providing habitat for underwater organisms, comprising:
 containment means having a vertical axis and a first and a second set of apertures therein, said second set of apertures having interior dimensions greater than the dimensions of said first set of apertures;   a silo disposed inside of said containment means, said silo having a vertical axis and a first set and a second set of apertures therein, said second set of apertures having interior dimensions greater than the interior dimensions of said first set of apertures;   a first mass of ballast material disposed inside of said containment means and outside of said silo to anchor said containment means and said silo;   at least one hitch point attached to said containment means for connecting mooring lines thereto; and   a floor joined to said containment means.   
   
   
       15 . The mooring habitat anchor structure in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said first set of apertures in said containment means comprises openings at least 5.0 inches in diameter and said second set of apertures in said containment means comprises openings greater than 5.0 inches in diameter. 
   
   
       16 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said first set of apertures in said silo comprises openings at least 5.0 inches in diameter and said second set of apertures in said silo comprises openings greater than 5.0 inches in diameter. 
   
   
       17 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said first mass of ballast material comprises stones or objects uniformly larger than said openings of said first set of apertures in said containment means and uniformly larger than said openings of said first set of apertures in said silo. 
   
   
       18 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 14 , further comprising a second mass of ballast material comprising stones or objects uniformly larger than said openings of said second set of apertures in said containment means and uniformly larger than said openings of said second set of apertures in said silo. 
   
   
       19 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein said first mass of ballast material is disposed in said containment means in registry with said first set of apertures in said containment means and in registry with said first set of apertures in said silo and said second mass of ballast material is disposed in said containment means in registry with said second set of apertures in said containment means and in registry with said second set of apertures in said silo. 
   
   
       20 . The mooring habitat structure in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said containment means comprises a geometrical form from the following group: cube, cylinder, cone, pyramid, sphere and polygon.