Alex's Column 17 July 2025
- NAFA
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
Territory anglers may soon see better fishing thanks to a new locally-made artificial reef system being trialled in Darwin Harbour.
Darwin-based marine services company, In-Depth Innovations, is leading the way with the development of BioReef: an eco-friendly artificial reef built using recycled concrete and oyster shells.
What sets this system apart is the way it combines traditional reef-building materials with artificial intelligence to improve fish habitat and help support key recreational and commercial species like golden snapper, black jewfish and coral trout.
The project is a team effort involving local companies HB Group and the Aboriginal Sea Company, who’ve worked with In-Depth Innovations to give waste materials a second life in the water.
“We’re putting circular economy principles to work,” said Tynan Bartolo, founder of In-Depth Innovations.
“The BioReef presents an exciting prospect to leverage cutting-edge technology with circular economy principles to enhance marine productivity at scale,” Tynan explained.
The BioReef modules are made from surplus construction-grade concrete and recycled oyster shells collected from the Darwin Fish Market.
Instead of heading to landfill, these materials are now being upcycled into reef structures designed to support marine life and the local economy.
“Repurposing our oyster shells from the Darwin Fish Market instead of sending them to landfill makes sense,” said Calvin Deveraux, Chair of the Aboriginal Sea Company.
“We're putting them back into the environment to support marine life and keep ecosystems in balance.
“It’s a simple process whereby we care for sea country and sea country looks after us.”
HB Group’s General Manager, Damien Collis, said sustainability is front and centre in their involvement.
“At HB Group, we pride ourselves on our approach to sustainability,” Damian said.
“By upcycling our surplus concrete into artificial reefs, we can reduce our environmental footprint and help support the Territory’s favourite pastime: fishing.”
The modules have been purpose-designed with help from local divers, scientists and experienced fishers.
Their rounded, natural forms mimic real reefs, promoting strong biodiversity and giving reef fish the shelter and structure they need to thrive.
Using AI and subsea sensors, researchers will monitor the reefs' performance, feeding back real-time data to improve future designs.
Over the next two years, the trial will be carried out in Darwin Harbour with help from the Larrakia Sea Rangers.
The aim is to see how well the prototypes perform in local waters, and to gather data that can inform the development of more reefs across the Territory and beyond.
The trial is being backed by a grant through the NT Government’s Business Innovation Program and is expected to lay the groundwork for larger-scale projects.
Recreational fishers have also welcomed the initiative.
Warren de With, AFANT President, said the trial was a step in the right direction.
“AFANT congratulates In-Depth Innovations for its innovative work in developing the BioReef trial reef modules,” he said.
“Supporting habitat restoration, particularly habitat for at-risk species such as golden snapper, is vitally important right now.
“We also recognise the NT Government’s support of this trial project with its commitment to ensuring sustainable levels of golden snapper and expanding productive fish habitats.
“AFANT looks forward to following the progress of the new BioReef artificial reefs and working to improve fishing experiences in the NT,” Warren said.
The hope is that these locally made, smart reef systems will not only support more sustainable fishing but also provide long-term benefits for sea country, tourism and the Top End economy.
I understand the new reef complex has been deployed near Talc Head in Darwin Harbour, which will make it accessible to boats of all sizes.
