Two more artificial reef projects are underway in the Florida Keys, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Tuesday.
It means Monroe County鈥檚 Artificial Reefs Program 鈥� fueled by an extra 5 million dollars from FWC that was approved in June 鈥� is now working on three different projects.
The first Monroe County project has been underway since last year. The initiative aims to repurpose 37 cement power poles into artificial reefs that will be placed about 16 miles offshore from Key West. It would be the first artificial reef deployment in 15 years, with the most recent artificial reef being a sunken naval transport ship that was put in place in 2009.
The two latest projects are focused on creating a network of sites to support fish populations. The second project will be located 5 to 15 miles offshore in the Gulf. The network will be placed in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
鈥淭his would be to provide fish habitat and create migration pathways for fish that are migrating between nearshore and offshore reefs,鈥� said Jessica McCawley, the FWC Director of Marine Fisheries Management.
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McCawley said project coordinators also hope it will create 鈥渁dditional fishing and diving opportunities that could draw people away from all the pressure on the natural reefs.鈥�
Staff are currently conducting site surveys and drafting permit applications, according to an FWC presentation.
The third project is still in the planning stages, according to McCawley. It will specifically target five different habitat deficits in the Lower Keys including shallow nearshore hardbottom in the Florida Bay; the southern Gulf of Mexico; nearshore patch reefs, offshore and deep reefs in the Atlantic.
The goal is to support life history migrations, otherwise known as ontogenetic pathways, for various fish and invertebrates that span the southern part of the Florida Keys.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited about all of these projects,鈥� McCawley said.\
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