© 2024 | WUWF Public Media
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514
850 474-2787
NPR for Florida's Great Northwest
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Navarre Beach adding more artificial reefs in the Gulf

Taylor Engineering

The deployment of more than 500 artificial reef structures began last week in Navarre Beach as part of a project funded by Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). 

“(A) mile out from shore we are placing a little over 500 artificial reef structures, made out of concrete and steel,” explained Mike Sandler of the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary. “This is taking it to the next level, our next phase.” 

The Navarre Beach Sanctuary is one of the committees of the Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit that provides support to beautification projects. 

Last year, with help from the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the committee expanded snorkel reef sites in the Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf of Mexico.  When all of the reefs are in place, there will be 29 new sites. The structures include eight-foot and 15-foot pyramid structures —also known as super reefs — and six-foot-tall ledge and disk modules. The reef structures will weigh between two and a half to 18 tons. 

Credit Taylor Engineering
Pyramid-shaped artificial reef structures await deployment.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Sandler said. “We’re building, essentially, an underwater city out there for the fish.”

The $1.2 million reef expansion is the second and final phase of a project funded NRDA Early Restoration funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Sandler said the expansion was made possible through a partnership with the Santa Rosa County to permit the project.

Matthew Trammell, senior coastal engineer at Taylor Engineering, said last week’s deployment was a “total success.” Crews will go out into the Gulf every two weeks to deploy more reef structures. The project should be complete by December 2018.

Sandler said there are “virtually” no natural reef structures that far out into the Gulf. Artificial reefs create a habitat for plants and marine life that couldn’t exist otherwise.

“There are many plants that cannot attach to sand, but can attach to concrete and limestone and steel,” he added. “We’re creating a habitat for those plants to create an underwater garden. There’s a lot of marine life that feeds off those underwater plants and so the plants and animals attach to these reef structures. By creating a protective habitat, we’re creating an environment where it is more conducive for fish to live and to breed and to grow.” 

-tfrHu7M

Along the Emerald Coast, there are even more artificial reefs.  Last year, Walton County added 11 reef sites thanks to NRDA funds. This fall, Trammell and his team will begin deployment of new reef sites in Okaloosa Island and Destin funded by both NRDA and the RESTORE Act. And early next year, Escambia County will begin deploying more reefs. 

Credit Taylor Engineering
Crews deploy artificial reef structures a mile offshore from Navarre Beach last week.

Sandler said the neighboring counties all work together as a coalition to promote the placement of more artificial reefs.

“We’re all in this project together and we’re putting artificial reefs all the way from Escambia to Bay County,” he said. “It is really going to be great for the environment and the fish population and to us humans who will get to enjoy it, too.”

Jennie joined WUWF in 2018 as digital content producer and reporter.