Florida

Power Poles To Become Artificial Reefs Off St. Lucie County

October 10, 2012
tcpalm.com

One hundred thirty concrete power poles that helped bring electricity to homes and businesses soon will provide a habitat for fish and other sealife.

Read the full article here.



Ancient Mariner reef gets addition of sculpture to honor local diving pioneer

September 29, 2012
www.kiiitv.com

One of Broward County’s popular scuba diving sites — the Ancient Mariner artificial reef — just got a little more interesting. The 70-foot deep shipwreck off Deerfield Beach now is decorated with a large, colorful steel sculpture of a coral reef.

Read the full article here.



Artificial reef planned in style of Stonehenge

September 12, 2012
www.miamiherald.com

Miami-Dade County’s collection of artificial reefs includes sunken ships, Army tanks, pieces of a passenger jet, radio towers and a cemetery modeled after the mythical Lost City of Atlantis. In the next year or so, Stonehenge may be added.

Read the full article here.



Task force: New reefs off Collier coast could bring in $35 million annually

September 7, 2012
www.naplesnews.com

Flipping through an issue of Coastal Angler magazine, Naples attorney Peter Flood had an idea. He was reading an article about artificial reefs and how they can bring in major tourism dollars after a one-time upfront cost. Flood thought: Why can't we do that here?

Read the full article here.



Bay County to Deploy Artificial Reefs

August 7, 2012
www.wtvy.com

The Bay County Commission’s Planning and Zoning Department will deploy Bay County’s newest artificial reefs Wednesday. The $60,000 reef project is funded by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission – Marine Fisheries Artificial Reef Program and is the result of collaboration between Bay County, FWC and the University of Florida Sea Grant.

Read the full article here.



New reef under way in Riviera Beach

August 4, 2012
articles.sun-sentinel.com

Right now, this city's marquee dive attraction is a shopping cart reef. Granted, the sea life at Phil Foster Park, around an Intracoastal island under East Blue Heron Boulevard, is diverse and well-known among divers, a product of the nearby Gulfstream.

Read the full article here.



State delays horseshoe crab sculpture sinking for two weeks

July 29, 2012
www.nwfdailynews.com

Anglers and divers will soon have a new honey hole to visit. An artificial reef, dubbed the Aquatic Life Ecosystem, is scheduled to be sunk in federal water in the Gulf of Mexico this week.

Read the full article here.



Some residents want old Matlacha bridge as artifical reef

July 9, 2012
www.fox4now.com

The Matlacha Bridge is know as the most fishingest bridge in the world but it will be torn down and scrapped. A new one is almost ready to take its place. Business owner Rod Mazzoli wants the scrap from the old bridge to become an artificial reef.

Read the full article here.



USS Mohawk becomes artificial reef

July 1, 2012
www.abc-7.com

The World War II ship the USS Mohawk was scuttled 28 miles off the coast of Sanibel Island early Monday afternoon. It is now an artificial reef for divers and anglers and is a veterans memorial.

Read the full article here.



Ed Killer: Indian River County to rekindle artificial reef efforts

June 30, 2012
www.tcpalm.com

Indian River County, along with several key partners, has once again begun to focus efforts on the creation of artificial reefs. Using concrete and steel materials donated from bridge refit projects, railroad ties, power poles and culvert pipes, county coastal engineers plan to increase the volume of oceanic habitat for marine life.

Read the full article here.



Artificial Reef Construction to Begin at Phil Foster Park – Blue Heron Bridge- Diving Still Open

June 30, 2012
www.floridadiveconnection.com

The County of Palm Beach recognizes the importance of SCUBA Diving in their local economy and has implemented programs to promote the area in the diving world through positive management of resources and an aggressive artificial reef program.

Read the full article here.



Artificial Reef To Offer a New Adventure for Divers and Snorkelers

May 31, 2012
www.visitperdido.com

Escambia County Marine Resources has announced it is creating a new reef about five nautical miles southeast of Pensacola Pass, just a short drive from Perdido Key. The artificial reef will be composed of materials removed from portions of the Three Mile Bridge Fishing Pier. The old bridge was damaged beyond repair during Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and was later converted into a fishing pier.

Read the full article here.



After nearly 20 years, artificial reefs come to Marine Sanctuary

May 24, 2012
www.gulfbreezenews.com

The idea of having artificial reefs placed in a Marine sanctuary off Navarre Beach was the idea of Brenda Stokes in the mid-1990s – and she never stopped fighting to make the dream a reality.

Read the full article here.



Coast Guard cutter arrives in Lee County, will become artificial reef

May 16, 2012
www.news-press.com

Lee County’s newest artificial reef was towed past Bowditch Point around 11 a.m. today on its way to the Kelly Brothers Marine Contractors dock on San Carlos Island.

Read the full article here.



Reef installation under way

May 15, 2012
navarrepress.com

Installation of artificial reefs began today off the coast of Navarre Beach. A documentary crew from the Weather Channel is also on site taping the installation process.

Read the full article here.



St. Lucie County creates two new artificial reefs

May 4, 2012
www.tcpalm.com

St. Lucie County has two new artificial reefs after deploying more than 2,000 tons of concrete materials. One thousand tons of materials were deployed in 150 feet of water 200 yards north of the Tug Lesley Lee while another 1,000 tons of materials were deployed in roughly 110 feet of water earlier this April.

Read the full article here.



Top Florida regulator endorses more artificial reefs off Jacksonville coast

March 29, 2012
jacksonville.com

A proposal to add more artificial reefs just off the coast of Jacksonville gained more support and momentum from a top state regulator Wednesday.

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More artificial reefs closer to Jacksonville gets traction on Waterways board

March 16, 2012
jacksonville.com

The prospect of adding more artificial reefs in waters near Jacksonville has some shrimpers concerned it could snag their nets.

Read the full article here.



A new artificial reef is coming to Okaloosa County waters this summer.

February 22, 2012
www.weartv.com

People who make their living on the gulf told Channel Three's Laura Hussey why the reefs are so important.

Read the full article here.



Plans approved for artificial reef off Navarre Beach

February 22, 2012
blog.al.com

Navarre Beach is finally getting the artificial reef some local residents have been seeking since 1995.

Read the full article here.



Artificial reef off Cape Canaveral could soon grow

February 21, 2012
www.floridatoday.com

Divers and fishermen could within a year get more hulls, culverts and boulders — maybe even segments of military rocket launch towers — to lure big grouper and other fish to an artificial reef about 17 miles offshore of Cape Canaveral.

Read the full article here.



Inshore reefs next for city artificial reef program

February 16, 2012
www.jaxdailyrecord.com

The City’s Waterways Commission was updated on the progress of the City’s Artificial Reef program Wednesday and learned of efforts to develop in-shore reefs.

Read the full article here.



WWII ship to be artificial reef off FMB

February 14, 2012
www.nbc-2.com

A World War II ship will soon be 100 feet below the Gulf near Fort Myers Beach.

Read the full article here.



Gulf Power donates 300 tons of materials for artificial reef

May 16, 2011
www.pnj.com

Almost 300 tons of concrete and aluminum donated by Gulf Power could soon be teeming with sea life.

Read the full article here.



Work on Lake Worth boardwalk, pier and floating docks underway

April 24, 2011
www.palmbeachpost.com

Work began Thursday on a boardwalk, fishing pier and floating docks that will give residents and visitors access to the water near the Snook Islands Natural Area along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Read the full article here.



Work on artificial reef slated to begin Wednesday

Feb 14, 2011
www.palmbeachdailynews.com

Work is scheduled to begin Wednesday on an artificial reef that will be only the second ever created within town waters. The reef off Everglades Island will cover a roughly 150- by 150-foot area.

Read the full article here.



Old Bridge To Become Part Of Palm Beach's Artificial Reef

Feb 11, 2011
www.wpbf.com

The Florida Department of Transportation has contracted with a West Palm Beach construction company to place pieces of an old bridge in Jupiter into an artificial reef site off Palm Beach.

Read the full article here.



68-foot steel tugboat becomes Kyle Conrad memorial reef

Jan 18, 2011
www.miamiherald.com

Late Monday afternoon, following a day of challenges brought about by poor weather conditions, the Kyle Conrad Memorial Artificial Reef became a reality.

Read the full article here.



THE WRECK BEFORE THE REEF: Volunteers prep derelict tugboat so it can be sunk south of East Pass

Jan 15, 2011
www.thedestinlog.com

Candy Hansard says that hundreds of volunteer hours have been spent preparing the now derelict tugboat Monica Lee to become the area’s newest artificial reef.

Read the full article here.



Derelict tugboat to become an artificial reef

Oct 28, 2010
www.nwfdailynews.com

The Monica Lee is old and decrepit, and soon bound for her final resting place. However, she has not been abandoned.

Read the full article here.



Artificial reef programs surge forward despite economy

October 2, 2009
www.tcpalm.com

Amongst scores of boats on a back lot at American Custom Yachts, one vessel is undergoing a dramatic makeover.

Read the full article here.



St. Lucie County to add 2 artificial reefs in Atlantic off Fort Pierce Inlet

Sept 27, 2010
www.tcpalm.com

There’s good news for St. Lucie County’s recreational fishermen. Two more artificial reefs to serve as homes for fish that many anglers like to catch are planned for the ocean near the Fort Pierce Inlet.

Read the full article here.



Ships Turned Into Fish Habitats Off Haulover

Sept 8, 2010
cbs4.com

Miami-Dade's expansive artificial reef program got even larger Wednesday after a 'lady' and a 'shark' were sunk off Haulover Beach.

Read the full article here.



It's official - A new Artificial Reef off St. Augustine, Florida!

August 28, 2010
www.divetalking.com

July and August, 2010 have been productive months for Carl Blow of the St. Johns County Port, Waterway, and Beach District Commissioner, St. Augustine, Florida.

Read the full article here.



Students Build Artificial Reef Balls

August 24, 2009
www.wjhg.com

Eleven miles off Jacksonville's shore, large fabricated reef balls are placed at the bottom of the ocean. The artificial reef will soon become a great home for fish and other marine life.

Read the full article here.

Volusia plans even more artificial reefs

Aug 19, 2010
www.news-journalonline.com

Volusia County's plan to double its offshore artificial reefs to help the local fishing industry is going swimmingly, county officials say.

Read the full article here.



Andy King Artificial Reef construction begins

Aug 4, 2010
www.historiccity.com

All required government approvals have been given to Ancient City Game Fish Association to construct the Andy King artificial reef 7 miles offshore from the St Augustine inlet in 65 feet of water.

Read the full article here.



Experiment to restore fishing in Lake County lakes under way

July 25, 2010
www.cfnews13.com

For the first time on a large scale, researchers are trying to see if artificial reefs made out of cinder blocks and transplanted aquatic plants will help restore fishing to Lake County's lakes.

Read the full article here.



Temporary Bridge of Lions Remnants Saved to Form Artificial Reef

July 7, 2010
www.firstcoastnews.com

Pilings from the temporary Bridge of Lions are coming up. Those pilings will be hauled off shore to create an artificial reef.

Read the full article here.



Volusia County may answer fishing ban by building more artificial reefs

June 21, 2010
www.beacononlinenews.com

Hoping to protect the marine sector of its economy amid an imminent ban on snapper fishing, Volusia County may form more artificial reefs to offset overfishing of some species.

Read the full article here.



Marine industry, Collier leaders go full speed ahead to sink Navy ship as reef off Marco POLL

May 2, 2010
www.naplesnews.com

A new tourist attraction could be coming to Collier County. Actually, it could be coming to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico about 30 miles west of Marco Island.

Read the full article here.



New surfing license plate up for Senate vote

April 29, 2010
www.postonpolitics.com

The Endless Summer, the iconic 1966 Bruce Brown documentary that followed Robert August and Mike Hynson on a worldwide surf trip, may soon be a Florida license plate.

Read the full article here.



The "Red Sea" Lands on the Bottom of the Gulf

June 25, 2009
www.wjhg.com

Deep sea divers have a new artificial reef to explore after the 125-foot "Red Sea" Tugboat was dropped to the bottom of the Gulf this morning.

Read the full article here.

Artificial Reefs Gain Popularity

June 24, 2009
www.healthnewsdigest.com

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Artificial reefs are becoming more widely accepted as environmentally friendly havens for scuba divers, and the movement just received a major shot in the arm with the recent establishment of the second largest artificial reef in Key West, FL, according to one expert.

Read the full article here.

Glug, Glug, Glug; Tug to become new reef

June 24, 2009
www.newsherald.com

PANAMA CITY - The 125-foot tugboat Red Sea will begin its final voyage today to become an artificial reef off the Panama City coast, the first shallow-water sinking here since 1995.

Read the full article here.

Building a snorkeler's sanctuary

June 15, 2009
www.pnj.com

Navarre resident Brenda Stokes called the underwater environs around the quieted pier "a wonderland."

Read the full article here.

Concrete reefs returning to ocean floor off First Coast

June 15, 2009
www.jacksonville.com

A project to seed the ocean floor with artificial reefs should return to Northeast Florida this summer.

Read the full article here.

Down she goes: Ship becomes artificial reef near Deerfield Beach

June 06, 2009
www.palmbeachpost.com

Hundreds of people looked on and cheered today as the Miss Lourdies, a 167-foot-long freighter, was sunk just after 12 p.m. to create an artificial reef a mile southeast of Boca Raton Inlet, near the Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton border.

Read the full article here.

Artificial reef projects benefit entire community

June 03, 2009
www.pnj.com

There is power in unity. County boundaries should not represent refuges of political turf-guarding when it comes to broader issues that benefit an entire community. Those include tourism, environment quality, economic expansion, education, highways and other quality-of-life tools that help sustain a vibrant, expanding economy without the headaches of petty jealousies and politicians too narrowly focused.

Read the full article here.

USS Vandenberg Sunk Using Explosives to Form Artificial Reef Off Key West

May 27, 2009
www.foxnews.com

KEY WEST, Fla. A ship last used by the U.S. Air Force to track missiles and spacecraft became the world's second-largest intentionally sunk artificial reef Wednesday.

Read the full article here.

New Smyrna requests reef study

May 21, 2009
www.tcpalm.com

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- City officials are willing to test the waters, but want some swim buddies before they jump into the deep end of a proposal to put an artificial reef offshore.

Read the full article here.

New artificial reefs to be sunk this summer north of Fort Pierce Inlet

May 14, 2009
www.tcpalm.com

FORT PIERCE Fishermen and divers can explore new artificial reefs this summer north of the Fort Pierce Inlet.

Read the full article here.

Navarre Beach wants to be "snorkelicious"

May 13, 2009
www.pnj.com

It's been more than 10 years in the making. Now the effort to build the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary is making progress.

Read the full article here.

Ship headed to new Florida home, will be a reef

April 12, 2009
www.miamiherald.com

NORFOLK, Va. -- After several delays, the Vandenberg ship has finally left for Key West, one of the last steps in a 13-year process to create the newest artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Officials say the 1,100-mile voyage should take about eight days. The vessel departed on Sunday.

Read the full article here.

Artificial reef coming, so is algae bloom

April 10, 2009
www.jaxdailyrecord.com

The Jacksonville Waterways Commission didn't have enough members present for Thursday's meeting to meet a quorum, therefore nothing was voted on. However, the Commission did hear about two items that affect the entire area - one that will boost the local fishing for decades to come, one that may be a bad omen for the St. Johns River this summer.

Read the full article here.

Manatee County slashes impact fees for roads

April 8, 2009
www.heraldtribune.com

MANATEE COUNTY - MANATEE COUNTY -- With a 50 percent reduction in impact fees for roads enacted Tuesday, Manatee County joined numerous other local governments that are trying to spur development by reducing the fees.

Read the full article here.

Luxury boats abandoned on US coastline

April 8, 2009
www.insurancedaily.co.uk

Luxury yachts are being beached or sunk around the US coastline as their owners make fraudulent insurance claims. A growing number of dumped boats are clogging the water around the coast of states such as Florida, according to a report in The New York Times.

Read the full article here.

Nearshore reef zones a reality

April 8, 2009
www.pnj.com

The Army Corps of Engineers and Florida Department of Environmental Protection have approved permits for two new artificial reef zones just outside of Pensacola Pass.

Read the full article here.

State mulls permit ban

April 4, 2009
keysnews.com

Permit, tarpon and bonefish are the Triple Crown of Florida Keys backcountry fishing. Of the three, only permit are edible and found offshore, making them most at risk for overfishing.

Read the full article here.

Grouper and Snapper Restrictions Set

March 31, 2009
www.floridasportsman.com

NOAA's regional administrator Roy Crabtree confirmed upcoming closed seasons for vermilion snapper and a host of shallow-water groupers as part of Amendment 16, in a letter to Chairman Duane Harris of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Read the full article here.

Deerfield Beach reef to lure tourists and fish

March 12, 2009
www.sun-sentinel.com

When U.S. Customs confiscated Miss Lourdies and anchored it on the Miami River, it was because the ship had 150 kilos of cocaine concealed inside a steel compartment. The way it was pitched at a District 1 meeting last month, however, the vessel would be reborn as an artificial reef and this area's own economic stimulus package.

Read the full article here.

Board considers artificial beach reef

March 11, 2009
www.news-journalonline.com

Bags of sand on the ocean floor might prevent erosion of Volusia County's beaches. The solution was proposed Tuesday by John Hearin of ASR American Engineering, a New Zealand-based company that makes artificial reefs out of 20-ton bags of sand.

Read the full article here.

New Study Confirms RFA's Claims on Red Snapper Abundance

March 4, 2009
www.flyrodreel.com

A new study released by Dr. Robert Shipp and Dr. Steve Bortone reveals that the Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper stock may be at a higher level of abundance than estimated by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Read the full article here.

Bay County Artificial Reef Project Underway

February 25, 2009
www.wjhg.com

Tourism is this area's biggest industry, and a series of upcoming projects could give Bay County a real shot in the arm. In fact, county officials are hoping the projects will attract a greater share of recreational diving and sport fishing dollars.

Read the full article here.

County to hold public meeting on reef project

February 22, 2009
www.newsherald.com

Divers, fishermen and others with an interest in marine life will have an opportunity to learn more about Bay County's artificial reef project this Tuesday at Gulf Coast Community College.

Read the full article here.

Sink it: Reef group wants barge submerged

February 19, 2009
www.nwfdailynews.com

Having a boat sink is usually a bad thing, but the Emerald Coast Reef Association is working hard to see that a massive 345-foot barge is sunk in the state waters off Okaloosa County.

Read the full article here.

Legal Issues Cleared As Vandenberg Moves To Shipyard For Final Cleanup Before Sinking Off Key West

February 6, 2009
www.underwatertimes.com

After an almost nine-month stall, a Key West artificial reef project is back on course, after tugboats shifted the 524-foot Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg 1/8-mile from Colonna's Shipyard to W3 Marine Friday morning.

Read the full article here.

Palm Beach County Commission vote on ramp fees could pit boaters vs. reefs

February 2, 2009
www.palmbeachpost.com

Marine industry leaders made a last-minute proposal today in hopes of scuttling Palm Beach County's plan to charge boaters to park their trailers at county boat ramps.

Read the full article here.

Revamp of FPL's Riviera plant could snarl Palm Beach County's reef efforts

January 26, 2009
www.palmbeachpost.com

Florida Power and Light's plan to revamp its Rivera Beach power plant could throw a wrench into Palm Beach County's efforts to create artificial reefs off its coast.

Read the full article here.

Collier wins grant bid for artificial reef

January 23, 2009
www.news-press.com

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and Commission has awarded the Collier County Coastal Zone Management Department $60,000 in grant funds to pay for implementing a new artificial reef along the Gulf coast.

Read the full article here.

Artificial reefs bring big fish, big dollars

Travis Griggs
January 23, 2009
www.pnj.com

The pristine white sand may do wonders for attracting tourists to the Gulf Coast, but beneath the surface the Emerald Coast that sand doesn't hold the same appeal for sea life.

Read the full article here.

Venomous, Voracious, Non-native Lionfish Turns Up In Florida Keys

January 20, 2009
www.fieldandstream.com

A beautiful and venomous non-native fish has made its way to the Keys, and the question is whether the species will move north and invade local artificial reefs.

Read the full article here.

'Vandy' money could forestall auction

Sean Kinney
December 10, 2008
keysnet.com

The Key West Commission hopes to approve two agreements Thursday that could trigger $2.6 million in state funding as a last-ditch effort to save the USS Hoyt Vandenberg from the auction block.

Read the full article here.

Vandenberg money hinges on contract

Sean Kinney
November 14, 2008
KeysNet.com

Key West city officials have been banking on $1.6 million from the state to keep the Vandenberg artificial reef project afloat, but despite cheers from local officials that the deal is done, that's not yet the case.

Read the full article here.

KEYS VANDENBERG ARTIFICIAL REEF PROJECT SHOULD MOVE FORWARD

November 11, 2008
www.fla-keys.com

The State of Florida is poised to contribute up to $1.6 million to satisfy a shipyard lien so a 524-foot decommissioned Air Force missile tracking vessel can be scuttled as an artificial reef off the Florida Keys, Key West officials said Tuesday.

Read the full article here.

As Oriskany sinks further, divers risk going deeper

November 5, 2008
Rebekah Allen
Pensacola News Journel

Diving the Oriskany was the clincher for New York resident Bradley Gaiser. At 135 feet, the sunken aircraft carrier's flight deck was already five feet outside the recreational diving limit, but instructors said it was still relatively safe for tempted divers to make the touch.

Read the full article here.

Veterans of USS Rankin reunite in Stuart

Alex Tiegen
November 1, 2008
TCPalm

Like the other veterans aboard the Lady Stuart II Friday, Melvin Munch had hoped to visit the attack cargo ship that served as their temporary home and workplace and now rests on the ocean floor off the coast of Stuart.

Read the full article here.

Ghost Fleet ship meant for Florida reef to be sold

October 31, 2008
Tim McGlone
The Virginia-Pilot

A federal judge has ordered the sale of a former James River Reserve Fleet ship after a contractor failed to pay for the clean up of the vessel. The city could lose ownership because of more than $1.6 million in unpaid bills owed to Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk, which cleaned the ship and made it ready for scuttling. Other subcontractors say they haven't been paid hundreds of thousands more.

Read the full article here.

Reach 8 hearing resumes Monday

Monday, September 29, 2008
WILLIAM KELLY
Daily News Staff Writer

After a three-week recess, the town faces off again this week with petitioners who seek to halt plans to reconstruct an eroded South End beach.
Administrative Law Judge R.E. Meale is presiding over the Florida Department of Environmental Protection hearing. It resumes at 9 a.m. Monday in the town's Emergency Operations Center on the third floor of the central fire station, and is open to the public.
Dr. Richard Weisskoff, an associate professor who teaches economics in the School of International Studies at the University of Miami, is the last expert witness for the petitioners.

Read the full article here.

Probe in FL boat fire

(September 28, 2008)
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Sep. 28--Fire marshals are investigating a fire on a boat being used to build an artificial reef in the Hillsboro Inlet.
Jack Holland, chairman of the Hillsboro Inlet District, said delays in the project are due more to weather than loss of a boat.
Gary Fernaays, assistant chief of Deerfield Beach Fire Rescue, said his department responded at about midnight Sept. 11 with two engines and three other vehicles. For two and a half hours, some 13 personnel pumped water into the 40-foot tug, but the fire damaged the galley area and living quarters.

Read the full article here.