South Shore hot spot Hempsted Reef

Located approximately 3.5 miles south to southeast of Jones Inlet, the Hempstead artificial reef was originally started during the mid 1960’s by the legendary Capt. Al Lindroth of the Point Lookout based party boat, The Captain Al. With the help and cooperation of several friends and politicians, Captain Al arranged for a half dozen surplus barges to be towed offshore and sunk on the reef site.

Over the years more material was added, including a load of concrete from a demolished bridge, a navy barge, some old dry dock material, a commercial fishing boat and even an old Fire Island Ferry. In addition, a bunch of cleaned-up old army tanks were sunk here.

The result is an artificial reef that is 744 acres of mass structure in 50 to 75 of water that attracts sea life like a magnet. Not surprising, it attracts anglers too. In fact, hardly a day goes by that several boats are not fishing this reef...[Link]

Divers salvage tires in failed artificial reef

Military divers returned to Fort Lauderdale this week to resume the job of salvaging hundreds of thousands of tires dumped offshore in the early 1970s in a failed attempt to create an artificial reef.

About 30 Army and Navy divers worked about a mile and a half off the beach at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park on Friday to haul tires off the ocean floor and collect them on the Army assault vessel Brandy Station. The day's catch: About 1,400 tires.

It is the third year of a project created to address a difficult environmental problem and provide a training opportunity for divers who need to accumulate hours below the surface. And while this may not be as challenging as clearing mines in advance of a beach assault, it is a massive task that will take years to complete.

Up to 2 million tires had been tied into bundles and shoved into the ocean in an attempt to create undersea structures that would support marine life and attract fish for people to catch. But many of the tires broke loose and actually damaged coral reefs...[Link]

Update - Subway car artificial reef program discontinued

A New Jersey program using subway cars to build artificial reefs has now been discontinued when it was discovered that the cars weren't holding up as expected.

According to an article in the Press of Atlantic City, the operation was originally suspended in February because the stainless steel cars were disintegrating after only seven months in the ocean.

Darlene Yuhas, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, told the Press that a survey of the 48 cars submerged at the Atlantic City Reef revealed that only two of them remained intact and upright.

"All the evidence suggested they would be long-lasting. In fact, the EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] data was these cars should last 25 years," Yuhas said...[Link]

US DOD - South Carolina Guard Makes Big Splash With Artificial Reef

The South Carolina National Guard recently dropped 32 armored personnel carriers and M-113 track vehicles into the Atlantic Ocean -- and it wasn’t by accident.

Since 1997, the Guard has deposited decommissioned vehicles to more than 39 sites along the state’s coastline to create artificial reef environments for fish and other wildlife.

Reef-X is a collaborative artificial reef project with the South Carolina Department of National Resources.

“It is a wonderful partnership that has proven to be a valuable asset to the community and beneficial for wildlife along the coast,” said Army Maj. Gen Stanhope S. Spears, South Carolina’s adjutant general.

Along with vehicles, the state delivered several metal box containers to the Jim Caudle Artificial Reef in Horry County, S.C...[Link]

Boys Home Boat To Become Artificial Reef

A place that turns boats into homes for at-risk boys is now giving one of its boats a new home.
The 75-foot boat is going from the Safe Harbor Boys Home on Blount Island to the deep sea, where it will provide a home for fish...[Link]

City may seek old Navy ship for artificial reef

With an eye on attracting fishers and divers, city leaders are exploring the idea of creating an artificial reef off Padre Island.

The plan is still in its earliest stages, but would resurrect plans from four years ago to sink an old Navy ship.

When an old ship is sunk, plants and algae grow in the vessel and fish live there, establishing a good place for fishing and diving.

When the city considered it before, the Navy had just released its first ship under its reef program and had no more available, City Intergovernmental Relations Director Rudy Garza said.

When city lobbyists asked Navy officials recently, they learned the Navy had four or five old ships that could be used to create artificial reefs.

Knowing that a ship is available is the first step of many, Garza said...[Link]

Change of plan for shipwreck reef site off Portland

Objections from the military have prompted project leaders to rethink a plan to sink a warship off Portland and create a new diving reef.

They have been forced to identify a new area of seabed for their underwater sanctuary after a preferred site in Balaclava Bay was blocked by the MoD because it would affect a training area.

Wreck to Reef (W2R) project co-ordinator Neville Copperthwaite insisted the scheme was not dead in the water as a new site had been found south of Ringstead Bay, following discussions with the Crown Estate. The zone is around the same size of 1km by 1km and although less sheltered it is deeper.

Initial findings from a survey of the new site indicate an artificial reef would not affect any marine life and in fact would probably help to boost flora and fauna...[Link]

Artificial Reef off Padre Island

Several years ago the City lost out to Pensacola, Florida for the right to have the U.S.S. Oriskany sunk off its coast. Now, the City is looking to try again to find a ship to use as an artificial reef off the Padre Island Coast. The idea is still in the planning stages and officials believe it may take 3-5 years to get a ship, clean it up and send it to the bottom of the Gulf...[Link]

Five Best Places to Scuba Dive at the Shore

Have you ever wondered about what might lurk beneath the sea off the coast of New Jersey? Sand, fish and seaweed? Sure! Dead mobsters, illegally dumped trash and waste and maybe even Jimmy Hoffa? Perhaps.

In your wildest dreams, did you ever think that somewhere down there in Davey Jones' locker there might be a New York subway car, WWI-era experimental concrete ships, sunken freighters and passenger liners? Well, they're all down there and so is a bunch of other unbelievable stuff...[Link]

Artificial reef headed to Grand Strand

Grand Strand fishermen are welcoming the newest addition to an artificial reef in the ocean near Little River.

Tuesday, local and state officials kicked off the 2009 Reef Project with a dedication ceremony.

Wednesday, the Department of Natural Resources

will dump more than 30 surplus Army National Guard personnel carriers into the ocean, creating a new place for fish to live and grow on the ocean floor.

The artificial reef provides a diverse habitat for marine creatures and a better fishing opportunity...[Link]

Historic ship to become diver's wreck

HMAS Adelaide, the ship that came to the rescue of stranded yachtsmen and terrified asylum seekers, now begins its final chapter underwater.

The decommissioned frigate was on Friday handed over by the commonwealth to the NSW government and will be sunk off Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast later in the year to create an artificial reef and dive wreck.

NSW Premier Nathan Rees said instead of being scrapped or dumped, the ex-HMAS Adelaide would be used by generations of divers.

"Coral will grow on the metal you see before you, fish will swim through the corridors that once rang with the sound of action stations," Mr Rees said.

"And divers will find a place of contemplation and beauty as nature slowly reclaims her broken frame."...[Link]

Collier building another artificial reef

A big bunch of concrete is sitting at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico just off the Collier County coastline.

In total, 950 tons of concrete is getting dumped about 4 miles off the beach in Naples.

Thanks to a $60,000 grant, Coastal Zone Management workers are laying the foundation for what will grow into Collier County's latest artificial reef.

Within months, the artificial reef will produce two big benefits.

The first, barnacles and other marine life will start to grow on the concrete to make it a central habitat for many species of fish.

The second benefit, a new reef means a new place for you to fish, and for fishing captains to take tourists in the wake of a weak economy.

"We will use that to take people out and actually catch fish off that reef, and also take them out scuba diving," said Captain Joey Dobin, a charter boat fishing captain in Naples...[Link]

National Guard donates surplus materials for artificial reef project

The city of North Myrtle Beach states with help from the S.C. Army National Guard, artificial reefs along the coast continue to flourish.

According to a news release from NMB, for the thirteenth consecutive year, the S.C. Army National Guard has partnered with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to donate surplus materials to the Marine Artificial Reef program, a collaborative project known as Reef-Ex.

This year, the Jim Caudle Reef and Little River Offshore Reef in Horry County will receive the materials from the S.C. Army National Guard.

According to Bob Martore, DNR’s Marine Artificial Reef Program Coordinator, “We’re very excited to be partnering once again with the Army National Guard and the Jim Caudle Memorial Reef Foundation. These organizations have done a great deal to assist our reef program through the years and these joint efforts have always resulted in exceptional reef habitat.” ...[Link]

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]

Explorer's paradise in deep blue sea

Out of the dusty, blue gloom, about 45 feet below the ocean's surface emerges a pedestal that once held a large telescope. Now, a gigantic radar dish that resembles a giant spider web appears in view. And you still haven't descended to the actual deck of the USS Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg.

The Keys' newest and largest artificial reef began welcoming fish and scuba divers last weekend following its May 27 sinking about 6 ½ miles south of Key West.

At 523 feet long and 10 stories high, the retired military ship is impossible to explore fully in one trip. But a group of scuba divers from several media outlets got a partial view of the bow and amidships during a one-tank dive last Friday with the crew of Dive Key West.

A day before the shipwreck was opened for public diving, media divers were sent down in teams of three, each escorted by a divemaster or instructor, with no one allowed to dive below 70 feet or to penetrate the interior. The ship rests perfectly upright in the sand, the bow at 140 feet deep and the stern at 150 feet.

With 60 feet of visibility, there was plenty to see on the outside of the ship -- especially the radar dishes, which dislodged from their pedestals during the sinking and had to be secured with cables...[MiamiHerald]

Smuggler's freighter to become artificial reef

A makeover of the notorious Miss Lourdies is almost complete.

The 38-year-old, 167-foot long cargo ship will soon shed her past as a freighter and more recently, as a smugglers' container.

At noon Saturday, if seas are calm and winds soft, she will become an artificial reef when she's sunk a mile southeast of Boca Raton Inlet, near the Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton border.

In June 2008, while the ship was docked on the Miami River, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered a cache of 154 kilo-sized bricks of cocaine worth $12 million.

The government seized the ship last March and gave her to the city of Deerfield Beach.

"The plan was to make something special," said Arilton Pavan. The owner of Dixie Divers for several years has sought a reef for advanced open water divers at this site. He is part of a team of scuba aficionados and federal, city and Broward and Palm Beach County officials who worked together on the project...[Sun-Sentinel.com]

39 more New York subway cars join Delaware reef

Thirty-nine more New York City subway cars have been added to a reef off the Delaware coast that has become a hotspot for anglers.

The cars were dumped Tuesday about 16 miles from the Indian River Inlet, which cuts through the barrier island that forms the Delaware Seashore State Park.

The reef covers more than 1.3 square nautical miles and includes decommissioned barges and tugs, 86 armored military vehicles and 6,000 tons of ballasted truck tires...[CBS3.com]

Artificial reef projects benefit entire community

It's good to hear that Santa Rosa and Escambia counties are coming together on artificial reef projects to enhance local tourism and fishing.
Advertisement

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.

Most people who understand the coming together of communities understand that the best interests of the two counties should center on regional thinking and planning.

The joint reef projects make sense because Escambia County already has received permits for two near-shore artificial reef sites within five miles of Pensacola Pass, and Santa Rosa residents must enter the Gulf through the pass...[PNJ.com]

"Vandenberg" to be sunk off Key West

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and other law enforcement agencies will escort the decommissioned military ship “Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg” on its final voyage, Tuesday, May 26, weather permitting. The following day, the ship will slip beneath the surface and settle on the ocean floor in 140 feet of water 6 miles south of Key West in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and will serve as an artificial reef.

The U.S. Coast Guard will establish a security zone around the 523-foot ship on the way to, and at, its final resting place. The FWC, Coast Guard, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Key West Police Department will enforce the zone surrounding the vessel from the time it leaves port until it's safely on the bottom.

The “Vandenberg” is behind the “USS Mohawk” at the East Quay Wall in Truman Annex Harbor. Once the ship leaves the dock, boaters must stay 500 yards away from the vessel. The trip from the dock to where the “Vandenberg” will sink will take one day. Once the ship goes down, the 500-yard security and safety zone will remain in effect throughout the night. At daybreak, as a safety precaution, authorities will require boaters to move one mile away from the “Vandenberg.”...[NaplesNews]

Aquatic life flourishing near artificial reefs in Lake Pontchartrain

Four miles off Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans, a barge is dumping 180 concrete structures into nearly 20 feet of water in Lake Pontchartrain.

This $160,000 project is creating one of four artificial reefs. It is part of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation strategy to revive the lake's ecology.

"20 years ago this lake was a polluted mess," said Carlton Dufrechou, executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. "It was brown all the time. Shell dredging was still going on. You had sewage discharges from the south shore, agriculture runoff from the Northshore. You couldn't fish in it, you couldn't swim in it. Today you can jump in it, and they got fish in it."

The concrete forms, called reef balls, are 2, 3, and 4 feet tall, and are filled with holes, creating an attractive habitat for fish on the flat lake bottom...[WWLTV.com]

Man creates sofa-reef to mourn dead friend

A fly-tipper has claimed he wasn't littering when dumping a sofa into a lake, but was creating a memorial reef for a friend.

Tony Dean Lane, 48, of Des Moines, admitted throwing a blue recliner in the pond at Riverview Park after a tell-tale cushion floated to the surface...[Metro.co.uk]

Want your own artificial reef? Try eBay

I love eBay.

Despite Craigslist and a soft global economy, the Internet's wonderful, perpetual yard sale and auction house still is going strong.

Apparently, there always will be a market for used Iphones, slightly worn Ugg boots, a potato chip shaped like Jay Leno's head or a jar of wind captured during Tropical Storm Fay.

In a move as creative and "outside-the-box" as it comes, the Martin County Artificial Reef Foundation — a 501c(3) organization — is hoping the cyberspace trading post will be an avenue to raise funds for the deployment of another artificial reef project this summer.

If the final details of the bidding contract can be worked out — possibly this week — eBay window shoppers will be able to place bids on having a reef named for their choosing.

The reef builders will need a bid upward of $20,000 to get the job done. That would buy a lot of waffles displaying the shape of the Virgin Mary.

Martin County's program already has had great success networking within the local bluewater fishing community, receiving tens of thousands of dollars in donations from private and corporate benefactors.

St. Lucie County's Artificial Reef program also has recruited private individuals and business owners who recognize the benefits of creating offshore habitat for reef fishes and other organisms, such as coral...[TCPalm.com]

Ship headed to new Florida home, will be a reef

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.

Project organizers expect to sink the ship six miles south of the island sometime between May 20 and June 1.

Almost three quarters of the project's $8.6 million price tag was used to rid the vessel of contaminants and prepare it for its new life as a marine habitat and attraction for divers...[MiamiHerald.com]

Ship reef's fifth birthday

A diving attraction off the Devon and Cornwall coast is celebrating its fifth birthday. The decommissioned Royal Navy frigate HMS Scylla was sunk to make an artificial reef...[BBC]

Remains Made into Reefs

You can spend the afterlife under the sea and help marine life at the same time. The state of Texas has even allowed it to happen off the Texas coast.

Steve and Ally Brandt of Austin were married for more than eight years.

"Steve was a very passionate man," Ally Brandt said. "His chosen profession was a swim coach."

When Steve passed away last October, Ally helped fulfill his wishes.

"Steve had indicated that he wanted his remains in a reef where people would want to go visit," Brandt said.

Ally contacted Eternal Reefs. They help rebuild the ocean's eco-system with artificial reefs.

"What we do is take cremated remains, mix it with a little liquid concrete and add it to the rest of the concrete going into a mold to make an artificial reef," said Eternal Reefs founder Don Brawley.

Reef balls can attract marine life within weeks of being placed on the ocean floor...[MyFoxAustin]

Sink it: Reef group wants barge submerged

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.

The Nashville, Tenn.-based Ingram Barge Co. has agreed to donate its recently retired barge called the Harvey to the Emerald Coast Reef Association. Early plans call for the barge to be inspected, cleaned and permitted before being sunk to serve as an artificial reef for anglers and divers.

"This is a big project and we're going to need help," said Candy Hansard, the association's director of reef deployment. "This is a big project, but boy, when we pull this off it's going to be absolutely fabulous to have a brand new reef in Okaloosa County. They bring a lot of economic prosperity to our community and it's good for our fisheries."

The project must get a number of approvals, including from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Okaloosa County commissioners.

"Well, hopefully we can make it work," said Cindy Halsey, Okaloosa County's environmental services manager. "It should be a very viable project to improve our fisheries."

Halsey said it still is very early in the planning process and that there are a lot of environmental and cost concerns that must be addressed before the Harvey can be sunk...[NewsHerald.com]

Urla to host underwater Archeopark

The world’s second underwater "Archeopark" will be created in İzmir’s Karaburun district by the 360 Degree Historical Research Foundation, Ankara University and İzmir Underwater Foundation.

A ship prepared in Urla within the Mordoğan Yapay Resif Projesi will be sunk in Mordoğan at the end of the month. This will create a platform for the study of underwater archaeology, and contribute to the development of diving tourism.

"The sinking in Mordoğan will be the second example in the world after that in Kaş," archaeologist Osman Erkurt said. "We think the underwater archeopark to be constructed here will be very important for scientific research. This project is being conducted with the contribution of Ankara University and the Urla and Mordoğan municipalities."

"As widely known, amateur divers are not allowed to conduct research on ancient sunken ships. This will facilitate these divers to widen their field of specialization," said Professor Hayat Erkanal, chairman of Limantepe Excavations...[HurriyetDailyNews.com]

Sink it: Reef group wants barge submerged

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.

The Nashville, Tenn., based Ingram Barge Co. has agreed to donate its recently retired 345-foot barge called the Harvey to the Emerald Coast Reef Association. Early plans call for the barge to be inspected, cleaned and permitted before being sunk to serve as an artificial reef for anglers and divers.

"This is a big project and we're going to need help," said Candy Hansard, the association's director of reef deployment. "This is a big project, but boy, when we pull this off it's going to be absolutely fabulous to have a brand new reef in Okaloosa County. They bring a lot of economic prosperity to our community and it's good for our fisheries."

The project must get a number of approvals, including from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Okaloosa County commissioners.

"Well, hopefully we can make it work," said Cindy Halsey, Okaloosa County's environmental services manager. "It should be a very viable project to improve our fisheries."...[NWFDailyNews]

Second warship wreck to be sunk off Florida

A second decommissioned US Navy warship to be sunk as an artificial reef for diving tourists off Florida. The 160m-long former Second World War missile tracking ship, USS Hoyt S Vandenberg will become the second largest artificial reef in the world when it is sunk six miles off Key West in 'early 2009'.

The USS Vandeburg will join the USS Spiegel Grove and USS Oriskany as leading underwater attractions in Florida waters. The largest of the three, USS Oriskany, was purposely sunk in May 2006, as part of a one million US Dollar project by the Pensacola Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB)...[DiveMagazine]

Subway cars in Atlantic City reef see 'unusual' damage

New York City subway cars placed on the state's artificial fishing reef off this resort in April already are showing "unusual damage," a state spokeswoman says, and the program has been suspended.

The state was planning to take as many as 600 of the subway cars, but the first deployment, at the Atlantic City Reef, 8.8 nautical miles off Absecon Inlet, has put the program in jeopardy.

The 35,000-pound cars were supposed to provide a durable reef habitat for years. Materials used for artificial reefs are supposed to retain 90 percent of their structural integrity after 30 years, according to state standards.

Several weeks ago, divers doing routine monitoring of the reef reported the cars are showing damage after less than a year in the ocean.

"We found unusual damage. We don't know the cause or the scope of it yet. We're postponing any further deployments until we see what happened," said Darlene Yuhas, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the 15 artificial reefs from Cape May to Sandy Hook...[PressofAtlanticCity]

Reef group to sink 50-footer in Catalina harbor

A nonprofit group that sinks ships to create artificial reefs has a 50-foot steel hull that may be sunk at Avalon's Casino Point Dive Park on Santa Catalina Island, a spokesman said today.

"Our goal is to be able to complete the project this year," said Kevin Sullivan of California Ships to Reefs.

The Ocean Harvest, an old kelp cutter, is sitting in Morro Bay, but the group plans to clean it up and have it towed to Avalon sometime this spring.

"The ship has to be made environmentally safe," said Eleanor Rewerts, another member of the group who has been working with Catalina officials to get the project approved.

The next step in the process is to obtain the Avalon City Council's approval, she said. The old hull, which will be made diver-safe, could be sunk as early as late March or early April.

The steel hull -- a material to which kelp easily attaches -- will be the first large boat added to the dive park, which includes a smattering of small crafts and boat parts...[DailyBreeze.com]

Boeing jet passing through was to become reef

The shell of a Boeing 737 aircraft is to arrive in Courtenay by barge early Saturday en route to its destination on the sea floor off Cape Lazo.

The 20-tonne aircraft is to be sunk about a mile offshore to create an artificial reef, according to Bill Coltart, projects co-ordinator for the Comox Valley Dive Association.

The dive association is organizing the project in co-operation with the Artificial Reef Society of B.C.

The aircraft was to be loaded onto a barge at the Coast Guard Hovercraft Station on Sea Island in Vancouver on Friday morning and towed across the strait in time for the high tide Saturday morning. It will then be towed up the Courtenay Estuary to the Courtenay marina at the foot of 20th Street.

It will be brought ashore and stored in a nearby parking lot until early summer, when it is to be sunk, said Coltart...[ComoxValleyRecord.com]

Last stop bottom of the ocean for New York subway cars

The last stop for more than 40 New York City subway cars in 2008 was the Bass Grounds Reef -- the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City.

The Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative, the Ocean City Reef Foundation, New York City Transit Authority and the town of Ocean City have partnered to submerge retired subway cars for the creation of an artificial reef that will provide a habitat for marine organisms.

In May, more than 40 cars were submerged at the Jackspot Reef, 20 miles off the Ocean City coast. "We know it's going to be a success because it's been a success on other places on the East Coast," said Marta Beman, administrator for the Ocean City Reef Foundation.

From 2001 to 2003, 1,269 Redbird subway cars were submerged along the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.

The Ocean City Reef Foundation, a nonprofit organization, constructs artificial reefs from man-made materials. The foundation places approximately 12 artificial reefs each year, funded by private donations...[CatonsvilleTimes]

Debts could sink Keys artificial reef project

The final voyage of the USS Hoyt S. Vandenberg -- a former missile-tracking ship that also brought World War II soldiers home from France -- will be either to the ocean floor or to a scrap yard.

If the 524-foot Vandenberg reaches the ocean's floor, it would become the world's second-largest artificial reef that was intentionally sunk. The 911-foot Oriskany, sunk off of Pensacola in 2006, is the largest.

But the 12-year-old project is in jeopardy. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the Vandenberg is scheduled to go to a federally ordered auction in Virginia to settle a $1.7 million federal lien for unpaid cleaning and decontamination.

The auction can be stopped, and the artificial reef project continued, if a settlement is reached by Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk, Va., three shipyard subcontractors and a bank consortium which loaned money to the artificial reef project.

''The Vandenberg's sister ship, the H.H. Arnold, was turned into beer cans in the 1980s,'' said Malcolm ''Mac'' Monroe of Melbourne, who worked on both vessels during Cold War missions. ``The Vandenberg deserves a more respectable end.''

The ticking clock has Key West dive boat captain Joe Weatherby, who in 1996 embarked on the quest to turn the ship into an artificial reef, on edge...[Miami Herald]

Bridge to be reborn as reef?

It seemed a foregone conclusion, but the Marathon City Council finalized its decision Tuesday to not repair the failing Boot Key Bridge.

The council decided to use $400,000 in Florida Department of Transportation grant money -- and match it with an equal amount -- to pay for the removal of the metal part of the span.

The money was formerly earmarked by DOT toward engineering and design costs for a refurbishment expected to cost nearly $10 million. The resolution the council passed Tuesday requests it be moved to the fiscal year 2010 budget and be used "in connection with the demolition of Boot Key Bridge."

"We'll be done with our part and DOT will have it removed by late 2009 or early 2010," Mayor Mike Cinque said.

DOT District 6 Bridge Engineer Frank Guyamier said the city has two options to dispose of the removed portion of the bridge.

"If they want to send the bridge to a smelter site where they could melt the steel, it would cost [roughly] $700,000. If we were to get permission to use it as a reef and place it in the Moser Channel Reef, it would cost $500,000," he said.

Moser Channel runs under the Seven Mile Bridge. Guyamier said DOT will work with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Department of Environmental Protection to secure permits making the old span an artificial reef. He said the span -- rusted metal -- can be sunk without being cleaned or inspected...[KeysNet.com]

Ten Aircraft Sunk off Phuket to Form New Coral Reef

Ten aircraft have been submerged off Bang Tao Bay in Phuket’s Talang district in the Andaman Sea to form a new artificial coral reef and diving site. The 16-18 meters deep area where the fleet was sunk has a sand bed, and is one kilometre away from the natural coral reef and the Bang Tao Beach.

The fleet of sunken aircraft consists of four Douglas C-47 Dakota Skytrains and six Sikorsky S-58T helicopters. They once belonged to the Royal Thai Air Force and were housed at an air base in Lopburi Province. The For Sea Foundation initiated the project to create an artificial coral reef following operations to fix natural coral reefs that were damaged by the devastating Tsunami that hit Asia in late December 2004.

“To lure visitors to a new diving site, the artificial reefs need some sort of ‘star power’, like the King Cruiser wreck diving spot in Phuket, for instance. The idea of having a fleet of old and unused aircraft under the sea is equally irresistible,” said Mr. Settapan Buddhani, TAT’s Phuket Office Director...[AsiaTravelTips.com]

Turks & Caicos creates artificial reef

Turks and Caicos (AP) - Nearly 100 concrete orbs have been submerged in shallow waters off Grand Turk island to encourage coral growth, shelter small fish and enhance snorkeling, a government scientist said Sunday. The hollow domes submerged in recent days have quickly attracted marine life off Governor's beach, a popular stretch of coastline in Grand Turk, said Lucy Wells, a marine biologist who does reef restoration work for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The response from marine life was instantaneous,» said Wells, who works for the island chain's Environment and Coastal Resources Department. In Turks and Caicos waters, shallow-water coral reefs have been harmed by pollution, overfishing and unusually high sea temperatures in 2005. But scientists say coral colonies off the British islands are in better shape than those of many neighboring islands. In recent years, reef balls have been submerged in dozens of locations around the globe to help marine habitats. The newly submerged reef balls, anchored to the sandy seabed and weighing some 300 pounds (136 kilograms) each, have holes that create currents and circulate nutrients to marine life. Small fish can hide from predators inside the 2-foot (65 centimeter) wide, 3-foot (1 meter) tall spheres. Larval coral was placed on the rough exteriors. Wells said half of the roughly $80,000 reef project was put up by Miami-based cruise operator Carnival Corp...[PR-Inside.com]

Warship fires up Sharky's reef hopes

Mark Salter's plan for an artificial reef for scuba divers on the Gold Coast has received a welcome boost after Defence Minister Joel Fitz-gibbon indicated a warship suitable for the job could be decommissioned from the Royal Australian Navy by 2012.

Mr Salter, aka 'Sharky', has been campaigning for years for an artificial reef as a tourist attraction.

An email from Mr Fitzgibbon says under the Defence Capability Plan 2006-2016, the heavy landing ship HMAS Tobruk might be replaced by 2012.

Mr Salter is now planning a campaign to snare the 126m vessel...[Goldcoast]

Underwater sculpture park off Grenada is stunning and unique

Jason de Caires Taylor is an internationally recognised sculptor with a difference.

Instead of bleak urban backdrops for his creations, he has crafted a stunning and unique underwater sculpture park in the shallow waters off the West Indies island of Grenada.

His desire to create striking and meaningful art forms and his love of the underwater world led him to explore the intricate relationships between art and the environment.

For Grenada, this has resulted in a series of beautiful marine seascapes that have formed a series of artificial reefs, drawing new life into areas which have been damaged by nature's raw power and mans intervention.

Jason discusses his work in a video interview with Miranda Krestovnikoff, one of the UK faces of a new global web TV channel, The Underwater Channel...[Telegraph.uk.co]

Old planes being sunk to form new reef

Ten decommissioned military aircraft are being dumped in the Andaman sea, about three kilometres off Phuket, to create an artificial reef for divers.

Dubbed the "Coral Reef Squadron", the skeletons of four DC-4 Dakotas used in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and six Sikorsky S-58T helicopters are being sunk near Koh Weaw.

The operation, run by TDN Diving Association (Thailand), was initiated by the For Sea Foundation shortly after the tsunami struck the Andaman coastal provinces in 2004, causing grave damage to coral reefs in the area.

It aims to create new diving sites to replaced those destroyed by the tsunami, and to ease the tourist load on existing natural coral reefs...[Bankok Post]

Completion of artificial reef announced

Southern California Edison will formally announce today the completion of a 175-acre artificial giant kelp reef just north of San Diego County, which the utility calls the first environmental restoration project of its kind.

As the nation's largest artificial kelp reef, it is expected to serve as a model for similar projects, according to Edison executives. The project was designed to compensate for environmental damage caused by the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

Edison will be required to monitor the reef's condition and conduct studies comparing its productivity with that of nearby kelp forests for about four decades.

The cost of construction and monitoring could approach $40 million and will be borne by Edison and other owners of nuclear plants, including San Diego Gas & Electric Co., according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

In addition to its habitat value, the reef may be alluring to local divers...[La Jolla Light]

U.S. ship 'Kittiwake' to become Cayman Islands reef

The Cayman Islands announced plans to create an underwater attraction for scuba divers and snorkelers from a decommissioned U.S. Navy ship.

Ownership of the USS Kittiwake, a 2,290-ton submarine rescue ship, will be transferred from the U.S. Maritime Administration to the Cayman Islands government this fall.

Toxic materials must first be removed from the vessel, built in 1945, before the ship is sunk next year in the Caribbean Sea as an artificial reef. It has been anchored for years among rusting hulks of the James River Reserve Fleet, commonly known as the "Ghost Fleet," in Fort Eustis, Va.

The 251-foot Kittiwake should attract large schools of fish to deserted cabins and halls, according to Charles Clifford, the islands' minister of tourism...[Tampa Bay.com]

Annapolis one step closer to becoming artificial reef

The former HMCS Annapolis has made its final voyage out of Esquimalt Harbour and is undergoing reclamation in Howe Sound as it awaits its destiny to become an artificial reef.

The ship has found a new home in Long Bay on Gambier Island, where many of its remaining components will be dismantled before it undergoes an environmental clean-up in preparation for its new life on the ocean floor.

The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) purchased the Annapolis from the navy to make it the sixth former Canadian Navy ship to be sunk in waters off B.C. The high number of ships being turned into marine habitats and scuba diving destinations increases B.C.’s reputation as one of the premier diving hot spots in the world.

“With the sinking of the Annapolis on the mainland side, we effectively close an eco-dive tourism travel loop, allowing divers to visit each sink site, thereby adding to a unique Wreck Trek adventure second to none in the world,” says ARSBC president Howard Robins. The final resting place has yet to be determined, but the ship is expected to be sunk in 2009...[Lookout Newspaper]

Hardy divers sculpt a silent world at Edmonds Underwater Park

A man wades into the ocean with a wheelbarrow full of concrete blocks ... sounds like a joke setup, right? Except no funny stuff's going down in Edmonds, just the work crew at the city's underwater park.

For 31 years, Bruce Higgins has anchored a fluid collection of volunteers, the type that shun meetings and "just get out there already." The team has sculpted a sandy patch of Puget Sound, once known for scuba fatalities, into an urban dive destination.

Today, two miles of roped routes scissor this 27-acre site next to the ferry terminal 15 miles north of Seattle. Financed entirely by the sale of $10 laminated maps and an annual underwater pumpkin-carving contest, the protected area at Brackett's Landing boasts more than 20 major features.

Artificial reefs incorporate tree trunks, sunken boats, tractor tires, a cash register, a pickup bed and part of a model of the Hood Canal Bridge. Small wonder officials last year renamed the park "the Bruce Higgins Underwater Trails." ...[seattlepi.com]

DMR Uses 'Reef Balls' For Fishing Reefs

They look like some sort of alien pods from outer space. But the 4500 pound concrete cones lined up at Matthews Marine will become artificial offshore reefs.

"These are reef balls. These are goliath size reef balls. These are the largest ones we make. They're fish attracting devices. We use them underwater for fish housing. It also grows coral," said Robert Duke of Reef Innovations.

The DMR contracted with the company to build 315 goliath reef balls. Matthews Marine in Pass Christian is the location for the unique production line.

The strange structures will be deployed about eight miles south of Horn Island, at offshore Fish Havens 1 and 2. Once they land on the sea floor, the reef balls can start attracting fish...[WLOX.com]

Old Subway Cars Earn New Life As Artificial Reef

New York City Transit is sending a fleet of old subway cars to Atlantic seaboard states, where they will be dumped into the ocean to help form artificial reefs.

Marine officials hope the reefs will attract fish, which could help the local fishing industry.

The cars were stripped and loaded onto barges, as workers prepared them for their dive.

"The subway cars present an ideal material because of their construction, their size and the fact that when we take out all the doors and windows, it allows the water to pass through and it provides a lot of good hiding places for marine life," said transit official Mike Zacchea. A similar past program put more than 1,000 cars into the water from 2001 to 2003...[NY1.com]

Retired warship to be sunk as artificial reef for divers

If you sink it, divers will come.
The Artificial Reef Society of B.C. says it plans to stimulate the province's lukewarm diving industry by sinking a retired warship near Vancouver next year.

"Divers like novelty and a ship wreck is about the most fun a sport diver can have," said Howie Robins, president of the Artificial Reef Society of B.C. "This will be one of the best diving attractions on the coast. "Created in 1991, the reef society uses retired ships and airplanes to create artificial ocean reefs that divers can explore. So far the group has sunk six ships and a Boeing 737, largely off the Vancouver Island coast.

Last year, the reef society purchased the former HMCS Annapolis from the federal government for more than $750,000. The Annapolis is a retired destroyer escort currently stationed at Colwood naval docks. The ship contains 40 per cent more explorable space than any previous sunk vessel, Robins said.

"It's a large ship with lots of room to explore," he said. "It's perfect for divers."..[Times Colonist]

Work to begin on largest man-made reef, expected to become a nursery for biological diversity

For the first time anywhere, scientists say they've designed an artificial reef north of San Diego County that should be able to sustain itself for decades.

The fruit of their research will start Monday, when crews will begin building the 150-acre Wheeler North Artificial Kelp Reef about half a mile off the coast of San Clemente. The project, meant to compensate for environmental damage caused by the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, will feature the largest-ever array of engineered reef structures.

Up to 125,000 tons of quarry rock will be placed across the ocean floor in irregular polygons that, on an engineer's blueprint, look like unjoined puzzle pieces. These shallow rock piles will serve as anchors for giant kelp, the ocean's fastest-growing algae that can reach 120 feet high...[SignOnSanDiego.com]

Subway cars hit bottom on Atlantic City reef

On April 3, 2008, 44 decommissioned stainless steel subway cars were deployed on the Atlantic City Reef site as part of the Artificial Reef Program. The AC reef is located 8.8 nautical miles offshore of the Absecon Inlet, has a depth range of 50 -90 feet and is four square miles in size. Also located on the AC reef are Redbird subway cars, concrete, reef balls, telecommunication cables, tanks, tires and various vessels all of which total just under 65,000 cubic yards of reef material...[SportFishingMag.com]

Sunken Texas Clipper Now An Artificial Reef

If you’re looking for that unique summer trip, it might be hard to beat one that rests on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico . Divers now have the opportunity to explore one of Texas ’ most unusual attractions – an artificial reef that once served as a training ship for almost 30 years for cadets at Texas A&M University at Galveston .

The Texas Clipper , a 473-foot, 7,000-ton ship, was purposely sunk last Nov. 17 in the Gulf and today is home to a variety of fish and marine life as well as a frequent destination for scuba divers curious to go down 134 feet and see it. She rests about 17 miles off the coast of South Padre Island and is doing exactly what the folks at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hoped the sunken ship would do, says Kevin Buch, diving safety officer at Texas A&M-Galveston who has visited the reef several times...[Media Newswire]

Final dive site?

About 45 feet beneath the ocean's surface lies a cemetery with gates, pathways, plaques and even benches.
Advertisement

The Neptune Memorial Reef, which opened last fall, is seen by its creators as a perfect final resting spot for those who loved the sea. They hope that one day the reef will cover 16 acres and have room for 125,000 remains.

"This is simply as good as it gets," said Gary Levine, a diver who conceived the reef and is now a shareholder in the company that owns it.

The Neptune Memorial Reef is located in open waters 3.25 miles off the coast of Key Biscayne, which means any certified diver can visit. The artificial reef's first phase allows for about 850 remains.

The ashes are mixed with cement designed for underwater use and fitted into a mold, which a diver then places and secures into the reef. A copper and bronze plaque is installed with the person's name, date of birth and death. There is also a line for a message...[News Press]

New Legislation Paves Way for Increase in Scuba Diving Tourism

The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association congratulates the Florida Senate and House of Representatives for unanimously passing legislation which establishes a matching grant program titled Ships to Reefs. This bill, sponsored in the Senate by Mike Bennett, and in the House by Doug Holder, would authorize the sinking of decommissioned U.S. Military vessels as artificial reefs to increase marine habitat and tourism opportunities associated with recreational scuba diving and fishing.

With 380 decommissioned Navy ships already acting as marine habitat, Florida leads the nation in the number of vessels functioning as artificial reefs. Each year, thousands of visitors choose Florida to scuba dive on the artificial reef trail, providing an economic boost to the communities of the 272 Florida-based retail dive centers and local diving operators, as well as surrounding hotels and restaurants. A recent study estimates that the economic impact of the USS Vandenberg, scheduled to be sunk off the coast of Key West later this year, will generate between $56-$168 million over the next ten years...

[Press Release} and [ABC.com on the Oriskany]