Reel News Casts 2016
News > 2016
First 2016 Artificial Reef Deployed in Escambia County
January 13, 2016 - The 82 foot Ocean Wind tugboat was sunk as an artificial reef 10 miles southeast of Pensacola in 82 feet of water.
Read more...
Bay & Gulf Counties to Receive $1.5 Million in New Reefs in 2016
January 10, 2016 - The 2016 year will feature approximately $1,500,000 worth of new reefs going out off of Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe by MBARA (Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association). The FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission) funds and the NRDA (Natural Resource Damage Assessment from the BP oil spill) funds obtained with grants will be combined with funds generated by the MBARA from the Kingfish Tournament, shirts sales, memorial reefs, donations, GPS chips, GPS booklets, and sales of cookbooks.
The reef building operation will occur February - April with the first deployment of $85,000 worth of artificial reefs. It will be from the FWC and will be in the permitted areas named North Site, Bridge Span Site, and the South Site. In addition, approximately $22,000 in memorial reefs will be placed bring the project total up to $107,000.
In the summer of 2016 another 591 structures consisting of Super Reefs, pyramids, Grouper Reefs, and Ecosystem modules will be deployed in the permitted sites of Bell Shoals, Crooked Island, and Sherman Sites.
The Crooked Island Site is new and is approximately 3-4 miles offshore in 60-75 feet of water. The Sherman Site is new and is approximately 6-9 miles offshore in around 75-80 feet of water. Both new permit sites are in state waters.
