Bay county completes phase 2 of artificial reef project
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay county officials continue to work on adding more artificial reefs to the Gulf.
Bay County deployed phase two of their artificial reef project on Wednesday. The crew spent about four hours installing 10 prefabricated artificial reefs between 17 and 31 miles offshore.
Local boaters say artificial reefs provide space for more fish to grow in the area.
'It's the habitat that protects the fish, especially from predators. Let's think about it. Smaller fish hide there from predators. The habitat has a whole array of different types of microorganisms that feed the tiny fish and plus the coral, the soft coral that we have most stuff here that grows on that creates that habitat,' local boater Eddy Morris said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation is managing the project with the help of Bay County. However, the funding comes from the Restore Act, BP's financial settlement of the deep horizon oil spill. County officials say this project is helping the area recover, not just from physical damage, but economic damage as well.
Panama City parks announce road closures for upcoming events
'Artificial reefs that are really important to our economy, especially here in Bay County. We have somewhere between 100 and 130 charter vessels for fishing and for diving. And they really depend. These artificial reef resources. For their jobs. And and our economy. Based and tourism really. Depends on attracting people that want to come here and go fishing and diving,' Florida Sea Grant Bay County Extension representative Scott Jackson said.
These reefs are modules specially designed for this part of the gulf; they include an advanced tracking system.
'We actually have G.P.S. Antennas on the actual booms. That placed artificial reefs. I mean, they go precisely where we want them to within just two or three feet. And so that's a big change. And so we can report those numbers more accurately today. Saving people time and effort and trying to locate the reefs that are being put down,' Jackson said.
County officials have not yet set a date for the third and final phase of the artificial reef project.
The team plans to sink an old tugboat to create an artificial reef. They're in the final stages of cleaning it up. They hope to set a deployment date in a few weeks.
If you are looking to find some of the artificial reefs, you can find their locations here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
The Soul Of Southern Food
Trays and butcher paper with variety of barbecue The ingredients and cooking techniques of the South are fundamental to the overall American food scene as we know it. Whether is it BBQ, stews or indulgent desserts, so much of what the current American food experience is still relates to the south. It is also common knowledge that some of the best cooks down there are also taking strides to produce the same amazing flavors that are cleaner, healthier and more relevant today. There is something primal in confronting a state that has had such a troubling health and poverty problems and see it emerging--at least culinarily--out of the belly of the beast. In historical and political terms it might still take more time. So--foodwise--the traditional flavors are still here, although they have been jazzed up and sometimes made in a healthier style. It is hard for anyone person to try to encapsulate how food has evolved over the decades in a region, but I think I found a good emissary in Scott Jackson, the chef and owner of Jackson, Mississippi's Pig & Pint restaurant. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the JXN Food & Wine Festival—which brought together chefs from all over the state—in none-other-than Jackson, Mississippi. All answers have been edited and condensed for clarity. The bacon melt sandwich. Scott Jackson (SJ): Ingredients consist of anything we can grow or raise here, which is pretty much everything as we have a long growing season in a sub-tropical climate. Due to the effects of the Civil War, we learned to make food from alternative ingredients. For instance, wheat was unavailable as it doesn't grow here, so bread was made from cornmeal. As for BBQ, smoking meats might be the oldest form of cooking throughout history and widely embraced by the common man as a delicacy they could easily prepare - harvest an animal from your farm or the forest and cook it slowly over a wood fire: caveman stuff. There is also a heavy African influence in our cooking. BBQ tacos with crunch. S.J.: Mississippi's geography influences ingredients. The Gulf Coast region will feature more seafood while the rest of the state utilizes more freshwater fish. Also, the coastal region has more French, Italian and African fusion influences. There is a fair smattering of Asian (mostly Chinese and Vietnamese) communities throughout the state and there is a deep history of Chinese culture in the Delta region. I find that our ancestors did more stewing of vegetables than roasting. So, I have improved on what I learned from my grandmothers. Generally speaking, our state has evolved as Americans have learned more about healthy eating, including using organic ingredients. A high-high pulled pork sandwich. S.J.: I find that the vegetarian era is mostly a thing of the past here as we are learning that the food pyramid we were taught was a bunch of hooey. People are getting back to cooking with tallow and butter and eating more eggs and meat than in recent decades. The chef is based in Jackson, MS. S.J.: BBQ and the usual sides pair nicely with more fruit-forward styles of wine. California Zinfandel is my go-to for BBQ. But, other wines like Spanish Garnacha, Primitivo from Puglia, Rhône reds or even some of the richer Russian River Pinot Noirs work as well. S.J.: Vegetables have always been an important part of Mississippi food. Being a rural and mostly poor state, many people—certainly in the past—would often eat meals comprised of only locally grown vegetables some of which were seasoned with meat trimmings.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
Appeal after pedestrian seriously injured in crash
A pedestrian has been left seriously injured after she was hit by a car in Wakefield. The woman in her 70s was struck by a red Hyundai i10 at about 09:25 BST on Tuesday on Barnsley Road, Ackworth, West Yorkshire Police said. The woman was taken to hospital, with her injuries described by the force as "potentially life-threatening". Those with information about the collision, which took place near a BP petrol station, have been asked to contact police. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North West Yorkshire Police
Indianapolis Star
30-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Hoosiers call for tighter pollution control for BP's Lake Michigan refinery permit
The diesel-like smell sometimes rising off Lake Michigan near BP's oil refinery in Whiting gets so bad that surfer Mike Calabro and his girlfriend suffer headaches and need to get out of the water for relief. Growing up in Whiting, Calabro learned how to surf at the beach next to the refinery. He lives in Chicago now but still makes the 40-minute drive down to his old stomping grounds to hit the waves. Calabro is among a large group of environmental advocates saying Indiana regulators are failing their duty to protect the water quality of Lake Michigan by ignoring pollutants coming from BP's refinery and letting the company release excess mercury into the lake. Lake Michigan's ecosystems are threatened by the pollution coming from the refinery, the groups say, and the wildlife — including migratory birds and bald eagles nesting in the area — face toxic consequences. The groups are now calling for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to revise BP's application for its pollution discharge permit, known as an NPDES, which is renewed every five years. BP is in the process of renewing its five-year permit and is waiting for IDEM to issue the final permit detailing the parameters for each pollutant the refinery discharges. The company "is committed to safe and compliant operations at the Whiting Refinery and across our global operations," spokesperson Cesar Rodriquez wrote in an email to IndyStar. "We will continue working every day to keep this commitment and to ensure the refinery remains an important part of the Northwest Indiana economy for years to come." Rob Michaels, a senior attorney with the Environmental Law & Policy Center and part of the cohort wanting changes to the permit, said IDEM is obligated to protect water quality — and Lake Michigan in particular — but there are numerous ways the current permit fails to meet that objective. One of the biggest failures is the numerous pollutants IDEM should have previously limited in BP's discharges, Michaels said. The list of these chemicals the groups claim IDEM has ignored is long, but some of the more worrying pollutants include PFAS, known as forever chemicals, and BTEX, which are a group of chemicals found in the oil and gas industry. Both are found to be harmful to human health. One of the BTEX pollutants, benzene, is known to cause anemia and an increased risk of cancer, according to the U.S. EPA. Meg Parish, with the Environmental Integrity Project, said BTEX chemicals are 'really dangerous to people at very small levels.' 'EPA did a big study on oil refineries in 2019 and said these (chemicals) are something we should be concerned about and yet Indiana didn't even consider it,' Parish said. 'They ignored it completely.' IDEM spokesperson Barry Sneed told IndyStar the department will provide full responses to concerns about BP's permit when a final decision is made. 'If any potential permitting discrepancies are raised during the public comment period, IDEM will thoroughly evaluate and address them before making a final decision,' Sneed wrote in an email to IndyStar. One area of the permit the groups are adamant needs to be reevaluated is an exception to how much mercury BP is allowed to release. IDEM has issued the company what is known as a streamlined mercury variance for the past 12 years. This variance allows BP to release more mercury than the established safe water quality standard for Lake Michigan. The exception allows BP to discharge about five times more mercury than normally allowed. Susan Thomas, with Just Transition Northwest Indiana, called the mercury situation at BP 'egregious.' 'They've had years to remedy this situation, and they have not,' Thomas said. 'They have been given a pass all of these years by IDEM.' The group's comment letter sent to IDEM says BP has had since 2012 to come into compliance with the mercury standards for Lake Michigan to protect the ecosystem and human health but has instead 'avoided installing the treatment needed …' Calabro, the Lake Michigan surfer, is part of a group called SurfRider Foundation that helps protect coastal areas. Sarah Damron oversees many of the group's chapters in the Great Lakes. Surfers are often the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to coastal water pollution since they're out in the water and exposed to the contaminants, Damron said. The mercury variance is also one of the surfing group's main concerns. 'To just continue to allow a variance as opposed to strengthening the requirements over time so they are able to meet the standards set by the state is not in the best interest of public health and wellbeing,' Damron said. The outfalls where BP discharges its pollutants are close to the area where people like Calabro use the lake for recreation. People are fed up with the situation, Just Transition's Thomas said. 'How much more can the frontline communities take?' Thomas said. 'If you stand outside in Whiting, your throat can start to burn, your eyes tear up and you can get heart palpitations. These communities are called sacrifice zones are deserve extreme consideration.' IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
