Marine habitat support module

Abstract

A marine habitat support module including a body having a concrete exterior. The concrete exterior of body defined a plurality of habitat support features. The concrete also has a pH selected to promote biocompatibility. The marine habitat support module also includes an interior chamber defined within the body. A selectively sealable passage is provided between the interior chamber and the exterior of the body. The selectively sealable passage may controllably vary the buoyancy of the marine habitat support module.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A marine habitat support module comprising:
 a body including a concrete exterior defining a plurality of habitat support features, the concrete having a pH selected to promote biocompatibility;   an interior chamber defined within the body; and   a selectively sealable passage between the interior chamber and the exterior of the body for controllably varying the buoyancy of the marine habitat support module.   
     
     
         2 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of habitat support features include one or more of voids, crevasses, fissures, tunnels, holes, vegetation, and irregular surface features of the concrete exterior. 
     
     
         3 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of habitat support features include one or more habitat materials at least partially embedded in the concrete exterior. 
     
     
         4 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of habitat materials include coral, vegetation, sand, and at least partially and exposed rock. 
     
     
         5 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 1 , wherein the pH selected to promote biocompatibility includes a pH selected based upon, at least in part, prevailing habitat substrate associated with a defined deployment site. 
     
     
         6 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 1 , wherein the pH selected to promote biocompatibility includes a pH of about 7.8. 
     
     
         7 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 1 , wherein the selectively sealable passage allows selective flooding and dewatering of the interior chamber for controllably varying the buoyancy of the marine habitat support module. 
     
     
         8 . A marine habitat support module comprising:
 a concrete body having a pH selected to promote biocompatibility with marine biota for a selected deployment site;   a buoyancy control chamber for controllably varying the buoyancy of the concrete body; and   a plurality of habitat support features defined in an exterior of the concrete body, the habitat support features including one or more of voids, crevasses, fissures, tunnels, holes, defined in an exterior of the concrete body.   
     
     
         9 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 8 , wherein the pH selected to promote biocompatibility with marine biota for the selected deployment site includes a pH selected based upon, at least in part, prevailing habitat substrate associated with the defined deployment site. 
     
     
         10 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 9 , wherein the pH selected to promote biocompatibility includes a pH of about 7.8. 
     
     
         11 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 8 , wherein the buoyancy control chamber includes one or more chambers configured to be selectively flooded and dewatered to controllably vary the buoyancy of the concrete body. 
     
     
         12 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 11 , wherein the buoyancy control chamber includes one or more openings for selectively flooding and dewatering the one or more chambers. 
     
     
         13 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 12 , wherein the buoyancy control chamber includes a plurality of chambers, and wherein each of the plurality of chambers include a respective opening for individually selectively flooding and dewatering the plurality of chambers. 
     
     
         14 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 8 , wherein the concrete body includes one or more of coral, vegetation materials, and exposed rock at least partially embedded in the exterior of the concrete body. 
     
     
         15 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 14 , wherein the vegetation materials include one or more of natural vegetation materials and artificial vegetation materials. 
     
     
         16 . A marine habitat support module comprising:
 a concrete body;   a buoyancy control chamber for controllably varying the buoyancy of the concrete body;   a first fluid passage extending between an exterior of the concrete body and a first interior portion of the buoyancy control chamber;   a second fluid passage extending between the exterior of the concrete body and a second interior portion of the buoyancy control chamber, the second interior portion of the buoyancy control chamber being at a height within the buoyancy control chamber lower than a height of the first interior portion of the buoyancy control chamber; and   a bio-habitat feature associated with at least a portion of a top surface of the body.   
     
     
         17 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 16 , wherein the concrete body includes a pH selected to promote biocompatibility with marine biota for a selected deployment site, the pH selected based upon, at least in part, prevailing habitat substrate associated with the defined deployment site. 
     
     
         18 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 17 , wherein the pH selected to promote biocompatibility includes a pH of about 7.8. 
     
     
         19 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 16 , wherein the bio-habitat feature includes one or more of a plurality of rocks affixed to the top surface of the body portion, an oyster reef and a coral reef affixed to the top surface of the body portion, and a biomat. 
     
     
         20 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 16 , wherein the bio-habitat feature includes a plurality of habitat support features defined in an exterior of the concrete body. 
     
     
         21 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 20 , wherein the habitat support features including one or more of voids, crevasses, fissures, tunnels, holes, defined in an exterior of the concrete body. 
     
     
         22 . The marine habitat support module of  claim 16 , wherein the bio-habitat feature includes one or more of coral, natural vegetation materials, artificial vegetation materials, coquina sand, and exposed rock at least partially embedded in the exterior of the concrete body.