Artificial Reef Pictures

(1) Airplane2-Bay-May97
Several gray snappers (Lutjanus griseus) taking advantage of the habitat provided by an F-106 drone airplane donated by Tyndall Force Base and deployed off Panama City on 9/25/95. The reef site is Bay County’s Large Area Site A and the reef was less than two years old when FWC diver Tom Maher took the photo 5/6/97. There are three of these planes at this site in 112 feet of water off PC.

(3) culverts-Martin
Several tomtate grunts (Haemulon aurolineatum) and pigfish  (Orthopristis chrysoptera) along with at single vertical stripped sheepshead  (Archosargus probatocephalus) milling about a partial buried culvert on Martin County’s Guardian Reef in 58 feet of water on 3/29/95.  These are of a FWC grant that placed 1370 tons of concrete culverts on this reef on 6/7/93.  Photo was taken by FWC dive Tom Maher.   

(4) moray
A very large green moray eel (Gymnothorax  funebris) poses for the camera in its home within a large vertical pole on the Tenneco Towers artificial reef.  This reef, on the border of Dade and Broward counties, is an old oilrig template moved here from Louisiana and placed here on 10/3/85 in 105 feet of water.  FWC diver Tom Maher took the photo on 9/17/97.  There are two rig structures at this reef site that rise off the bottom over 40 feet.

(5) FH-LARRSW-22
Many juvenile reef snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus ) enjoy the interior of a Fish Haven brand artificial reef module off Escambia County.  FWC diver Bill Horn in the Escambia County Large area reef site took this photo during a reef assessment at this site on 7/25/02.   

(6) Frankiln-Ship
A school of Atlantic spadefish swims past the wheelhouse of the “Moonlighter” a 108 ft long tugboat placed as part of the Bryson Reef off Carrabelle on 9/13/97.  This reef, along with another tugboat the “Atlas”, was deployed here with the assistance of an FWC grant in 75 feet of water on 2/11/97.  FWC diver Bill Horn took this shot with a digital video camera.  

(7) gag-porkfish-Martin
Several large gag  (Mycteroperca microlepis) and a single yellow-stripped porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus) find sanctuary near the bow of a barge deployed on 6/7/93 on the Martin County Guardian Reef.  This photo was taken by FWC diver Tom Maher in 58 feet of water on 3/29/95 less than two years after deployment.   Tomate grunts (Haemulon aurolineatum) and gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) are also seen in the area. 

(8) dade modules UW
These structures are called "DERM Modules".  Designed by Dade County staff, they have natural limestone rock covering a module built with three concrete culverts.  This photo taken on the Sunny Isles Reef on 3/5/93 in Dade County by Ben Mostkoff, Dade County staff.  The photo shows FWC Diver Bill Horn taking underwater video during an assessment of the structures. The reef is 69 feet deep. Depth of the reef is 69 feet and the reefs were deployed on this site on 8/30/91.  

(9) ship-Brow-4mons
This photo was taken on 9/18/97 three months after the deployment of the “Guy Harvey reef”, a 185 ft ship deployed on 5/10/97 in 126 feet of water off Broward County. A gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) is seen in the foreground, while a great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is swimming off near the roof of the wheelhouse.  FWC diver Tom Maher took this photo during a post deployment assessment of this FWC grant project. 

(10) turtle-tay
A marine turtle swims across Taylor County ‘Buckeye Reef on 7/29/97.  This reefs consists of 80 tons of scrap steel placed in 6/29/96 in 47 feet of water.  The diver in photo is Bill Horn taking underwater video and Tom Maher took the photo 

(11)  Wakulla_goliath
Goliath Grouper, formally known as the Jewfish (Epinephelus itajara), is seen swimming into its new home on an artificial reef off Wakulla County.  The photo was taken by FWC dive Tom Maher on 2/22/96.  The Big Bend Regional Reef #1 consists of 24 three-foot cubes and was deployed on 8/17/95 in 27 feet of water of St. Marks.

(12) ship-Brow-4mons
Extensive invertebrate growth covers a leg of the Tenneco Towers artificial reef after about 12 years in the water.  This reef, on the border of Dade and Broward counties, is an old oilrig template moved here from Louisiana and placed here on 10/3/85 in 105 feet of water.  FWC diver Tom Maher took the photo on 9/17/97.  There are two rig structures at this reef site that rise off the bottom over 40 feet.