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Bay County to Deploy Artificial Reefs

Posted: 6:04 PM Aug 7, 2012

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.

The series of artificial reef consists of 40 pre-fabricated concrete structures deployed in 10 locations. Reef will be deployed in the Gulf of Mexico 11 nautical miles on a bearing of approximately 218° from St Andrew Bay Pass at a depth of around 90 feet.
Bay County also received funding from the FWC for a $12,000 grant to monitor and locate 35 reefs previously deployed under the LORAN coordinate system. Completion of this project will help residents and visitors easily locate existing reefs using GPS technology. A new interactive Web site ( http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/seagrant/reefs) also provides an opportunity for divers and fishermen to provide updated information regarding fish caught and observation of associated marine life.