Latest news with #RestoreAct
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bay County wraps up NRDA artificial reef project
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Bay County deployed the last set of artificial reefs on Wednesday. 30 more Bay County artificial reefs are now sitting on the bottom of the Gulf. They were all part of a multi-part artificial reef program the county coordinated, using Restore Act money from the 2010 BP oil spill settlement. Join Panama City Police Department bicycle rodeo for fun and safety tips Crews deployed phase one on February 26th. Phase two was completed on March 12th. Crews set out bright and early Wednesday morning to deploy the last 10 structures. They are hoping these reefs will help offset the damages the oil spill caused to the fishing industry. 'There was documentation to the recreational fishery that they just weren't able to get out and have the normal lifestyle that they're accustomed to by living here in Bay County in Northwest Florida. So it's our hope that this will provide opportunities that they didn't have before,' Florida Sea Grant Bay County Extension Representative Scott Jackson said. But these aren't just any reefs. Everything from the material to the size of the windows is specifically designed to benefit the marine life long-term. 'The limestone that this vendor is using to manufacture these reefs kind of mimics what we see on the ocean floor as far as the limestone ledges that occur naturally. And so this gives it a jump start to the organisms that we see over time,' Jackson said. 'Often the sea turtles will get around these structures naturally… the hole at the top is plenty big enough for a turtle to go out. And then the windows at the bottom of them are larger. They're big enough for me to go in,' Sea Grant volunteer Bob Stapleton said. The location where the reefs are placed is also chosen carefully to encourage more fishing spots. 'The more and more structure we put out, the more places there are for fish to be and more places for fishermen to spread themselves out over. So it relieves the pressure on, you know, a major pool of fish at one place,' Stapleton said. Sweet Baby's Farm hosts first-ever Spring Fling event The county will go back out and add some additional reefs to current locations. They're also working on new artificial reefs, including a re-purposed tugboat. If you'd like to see a list of where the reefs have been placed, Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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.
