09-05-2025
Eastern Shipbuilding Group challenges students to build artificial reefs
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Eastern Shipbuilding Group's Coastline Initiative challenges students from local schools to design and build artificial reefs.
Participating teams from Wewahitchka High School, Port St. Joe High School, Haney Technical College, and Chipola College had three months to get their projects off the ground.
To meet regulations, they had to submit a plan to Eastern Shipbuilding to get approved through the permitting process.
Students gained hands-on experience in welding and marine engineering, preparing them for future careers in skilled trades.
'There's several trades involved. And it's not only welding, you know, their steel, this fabrication. There's the engineering side of it, designed the whole creativity aspect of design is a whole issue of its own,' Eastern Shipbuilding Group Director of Operations England Reeves said.
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Eastern Shipbuilding Group donated the scrap material and equipment needed for the reefs. And they stopped by the schools to meet with students.
'We get some face-to-face time with the students, which I think it makes a difference. You know, it really engages them. And they see industry partners, you know, real-life stuff happening outside of the school system. These industry partners coming inside the school and meeting, discussing, going over these plans and in their bill materials and, you know, face to face with students, I don't think they get that much,' Reeves said.
The artificial reefs will be going to a permitted zone, 15 to 28 miles offshore from Panama City. They will bring habitats to several local fish species.
'The habitat is what the fish like for this area, mainly it's what we call a bottom species, snapper or grouper. Amberjack, triggerfish, those species like some kind of structure to live around, either it being like natural structure, like limestone edges or coral reefs, or artificial structure that's manmade that people put out,' Bay County Artificial Reef Association Member B.J. Burkett said.
The reefs will sit on display in front of Captain Anderson's Marina for a 14 day inspection period that ends May 22. They are reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
After they are approved, they will be deployed by the Bay County Artificial Reef Association.
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