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ARTIFICIAL REEF PROGRAM
In 2021, New Jersey dropped about 400 donated gravestones and concrete rubble onto Barnegat Reef; 60 tons of monuments became new underwater habitatIn May 2021, New Jersey took a significant step by deploying around 400 gravestones to bolster its artificial reef initiative. Sourced from...- In 2016, New Jersey sank 5,000 tons of concrete from a demolished Brooklyn pier off Sandy Hook; the rubble was designed to become habitat for fish and musselsIn a 2016 initiative, rubble from a demolished pier in Brooklyn was repurposed to form a new reef, enhancing habitats for marine life. Whil...
- In 2004, Virginia turned dredged fossil shells into 85 acres of oyster reef in one river; later monitoring counted 76.2 million live oysters on the restored reefsIn 2004, an 85-acre reef network was built in the Great Wicomico River using dredged fossil oyster shells. Monitoring revealed that this re...
- In 1995, Bette Midler launched NYRP to restore neglected spaces in New York. 30 years later, it has planted 200,000+ trees and restored 350+ green spaces for New YorkersThirty years after Bette Midler began picking up trash in a New York park, the New York Restoration Project has developed into an organizat...
- Florida was throwing away damaged metal signposts. In 2026, they are being turned into underwater habitatsIn Florida counties, discarded road signposts are being creatively repurposed into underwater habitats. These metal structures are transfor...
- In 1985, Broward County sank a DC-4 off Fort Lauderdale in 71 feet of water; the wreck later became a monitored artificial reefIn Florida, officials purposefully submerge items like airplanes to establish artificial reefs. These underwater structures not only form n...
- ARSBC bought HMCS Chaudière from Canada’s Defence Department for $1 plus 7 cents GST; after its reef conversion, glass tunicates came to cover much of the vesselThe Canadian warship HMCS Chaudière was acquired for a symbolic price and subsequently sunk, transforming it into a vibrant artificial reef...
- New Jersey sank 397 obsolete army tanks and armored vehicles from 1994 to 1997 in 40 to 140 feet of water; a five-year study found 432,000 animals of 145 species per square metre of reef habitatIn a remarkable initiative, obsolete US Army tanks were intentionally submerged off the New Jersey coast, creating vibrant artificial reefs...
- In the mid-late 1970s, Florida sank an F-101, F-102, T-33 and Sikorsky off Bay County; the aircraft served as fishing and diving reefs for more than 10 yearsIn the 1970s, Florida made a bold choice by sinking military jets and helicopters into the Gulf of Mexico, creating makeshift fishing and d...
- In 1995, Florida sank three F-106 jets off Bay County; later surveys found reef fish and greater amberjack around the aircraftIn an innovative effort to bolster marine life, retired fighter jets are strategically submerged off the coast of Florida, transforming int...
- In 2010, Thailand lowered 25 retired battle tanks into 80 feet of water off Narathiwat; a decade later, local fishermen reported a sharp boost in catchesThailand's army sank obsolete battle tanks and railway cars into the Gulf of Thailand. This initiative aimed to create new fishing grounds ...
- In 2011, North Carolina scuttled the 180-foot Coast Guard buoy tender USCGC Spar off Morehead City; divers later documented sand tiger sharks using the wreckResting peacefully on the ocean floor off North Carolina, the USCGC Spar, once a buoy tender, has transformed into a vital habitat for sand...
- In 1997, HMCS Saskatchewan was sunk off Nanaimo; 448 days later divers recorded 46 taxa, including 9 molluscs and 7 echinodermsIn British Columbia, artificial reefs are transforming the marine landscape, demonstrating swift colonization by diverse marine species wit...
- In 2009, Jacksonville sank the former Coast Guard tender Spike in 100 feet of water; one year later, a REEF diver counted 16 fish species, up from just 6An ex-Coast Guard ship now stands as an artificial reef, drawing the attention of vibrant marine life. At first, the submerged metal hull w...
- In 2024, researchers tested crushed waste concrete as a base for Chesapeake oyster reefs; oyster spat grew and survived with no detectable hydrocarbon leachingIn the Chesapeake Bay, recycled concrete rubble is proving to be a nursery for young oysters. Scientists have discovered that this crushed ...
- In Texas, oyster-shell waste became reef “shell bags”; along Galveston Bay, the new shell reefs supported living oysters and helped stabilize shorelinesThe Galveston Bay Foundation has initiated a commendable recycling program to repurpose oyster shells from local restaurants for vital reef...
- In 1996, NASA sank a 132-foot shuttle booster training device off Port Canaveral to become an artificial reef; marine life was expected to establish itself there within four monthsA retired NASA training device became an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean. This structure provided a new underwater habitat for marine...
- In 2023, Georgia sank two retired Atlanta commuter trains; seven months later, divers found corals, fish, and other marine life colonizing the railcarsRetired MARTA train cars were sunk off Georgia's coast to create new reefs. Divers found marine life and coral growth on the cars within se...
- In 1982, Delaware’s former tanker was built for a life at sea carrying oil. 44 years later, the vessel was deliberately sunk off Delaware’s coast, beginning a second life as an artificial reef for marine speciesThe Calcasieu Pass vessel, constructed in 1982 for oil operations, has made a remarkable transition to become a key component of Delaware's...
- By 2015, Georgia had added about 200 retired chicken-transport cages to an offshore reef; the steel structures became fish habitatAlong the stunning coast of Georgia, discarded chicken cages have found a new purpose as artificial reefs. These innovative structures crea...
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