Artificial-reef balls sunk near Ogden Point

They look like giant wiffle balls, but you'd have a little trouble hitting one with a bat -- in fact, you probably wouldn't get the 136-kilogram balls off the ground.

This weekend, the first of 100 artificial reefs -- known as "reef balls" -- are being dropped in waters just east of Ogden Point. They're part of a project designed to study reef ecosystems, and to help replace natural reefs disappearing because of coastline development.

The dome-shaped cement structures, about the size of a large exercise ball, are designed to mimic the shape and texture of naturally occurring reefs...[Link]