Southern California Edison (SCE) is required to construct an artificial reef large enough to sustain at least 28 tons of reef fish and 150 acres of medium-to-high density giant kelp and associated biota to compensate for the loss of kelp forest habitat resulting from the operation of SONGS Units 2 and 3. The construction of an artificial reef is being done in multiple phases that included a 5-year (1999 -2004), small-scale (~ 25 acres) experimental phase that tested the efficacy of different reef designs in meeting the project objectives, followed by a larger (>150 acres), longer-term (2008 to present) mitigation phase that is intended to fulfill the kelp forest mitigation requirement. Acting on a request from SCE, The California State Lands Commission adopted a resolution in 2008 declaring that the SONGS mitigation reef be named in honor of Dr. Wheeler North.