earth science

Redbird Reef

Redbird Reef is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Redbird Reef rather than just read about it. In short: Redbird Reef is an artificial reef located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Slaughter Beach, Delaware, 16 miles (25.7 km) east of the Indian River Inlet. Established by the Maryland Reef Initiative in 2001, this reef covers 1.3 square nautical miles of ocean floor and is located 80 feet (24.4 m) below the surface.

Key takeaways

Redbird Reef belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Redbird Reef to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Redbird Reef from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Redbird Reef is an artificial reef located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Slaughter Beach, Delaware, 16 miles (25.7 km) east of the Indian River Inlet. Established by the Maryland Reef Initiative in 2001, this reef covers 1.3 square nautical miles of ocean floor and is located 80 feet (24.4 m) below the surface. The reef comprises 714 Redbird (R26–R36 series) New York City Subway cars dumped by Weeks Marine, 86 retired tanks and armored personnel carriers, eight tugboats and barges, and 3,000 tons of ballasted truck tires. From 2001 to 2008, within the vicinity of the reef, the amount of marine food per square foot has increased 400 times. The site is the most visited reef site off Delaware's coast, receiving more than 10,000 fishing parties annually, and is home to numerous marine species, including black sea bass, flounder, blue mussels, sponges, barnacles, and coral. Also, tuna and mackerel hunt at the reef. The site has become so popular that fishermen steal from each other, and other states apply for the next subway cars to be dumped in their waters.

Similar Reefs The Redbirds were not the only trains that were reefed. In December 2007, an agreement was made with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to reef the trains (R32s, R38s, R40/As, R42s) that would be retired by the R160s, as well as work trains (R71s (converted R14s, R15s, R17s, R21s, R22s) that were retired around the same time by converted Redbirds into work trains. Other trains to be reefed included a number of R16s, R30s, and R62s.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Redbird Reef

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Redbird Reef claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Redbird Reef before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Redbird Reef ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Redbird Reef

In research: Redbird Reef appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Redbird Reef in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Redbird Reef is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2001 establishments in Delaware, Artificial reefs, Buildings and structures completed in 2001, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Redbird Reef outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Redbird Reef in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Redbird Reef means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Redbird Reef out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Redbird Reef in simple terms?

Why does Redbird Reef matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Redbird Reef?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Redbird Reef.