Artificial reef so far a bona fide success Series

April 12th, 2006 by admin in Scuba diving and NEWS

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA - The captain made sure the scuba divers knew what to expect once they left the safety of the boat.”There are some pretty big goliath grouper down there,” Dave Zalewski said. “They own this spot.”

The South County Artificial Reef, located 11 miles west of Pass- a-Grille Channel, about one mile north of the wreck Betty Rose, is a popular destination for anglers and scuba divers.

Zalewski, a Times correspondent and charter boat skipper for nearly 25 years, knows this reef better than anyone, except perhaps J.D. Arndt.

“We are real proud of this one,” said Arndt, who oversees the county’s artificial reef program. “We took great care when we put this together.”

Arndt bristled at the notion that the material used to make an artificial reef is simply dumped on site.

“We always have a plan,” he explained. “There is a lot of thought that goes into building a reef.”

Construction on the South County reef began five years ago when Arndt and his crew placed about 700 tons of concrete culvert, junction boxes, light poles and slabs on the permit site.

The bulk of the concrete - 90 feet of material on an east/west line and 35 feet of material on a north/south line - rises about 16 feet off the bottom.

The most dramatic structure, the wreck of the 100-year-old Tug Orange, is what Arndt was most eager to show his boss on a beautiful day last spring.

“It has been a while since I have been diving,” said Pinellas County Administrator Steve Spratt as he strapped on his scuba gear. “Since I moved here, I have heard nothing but good things about the county’s artificial reef program. I thought it was time to see for myself.”

Spratt, of Miami, spent a great deal of time scuba diving in the Florida Keys. But under Arndt’s guidance, he quickly learned that the Gulf Coast’s artificial reefs can be as exciting as a natural reef.

The old tug measures about 80 feet long and sits in 42 feet. Sunk in April 2003, the Orange has turned into a baitfish magnet in three short years.

As Arndt and Spratt descended onto the deck of the tug, a huge school of baitfish enveloped them.

Seconds later, they were gone. Thousands of baitfish swirled as one, their silver bodies illuminated by the sunlight, then mass of life parted again as a 300-pound goliath grouper swam into view.

The huge fish lingered on the deck of the tug, then slipped over the side. A second and third fish, both equal in size to the first, followed.

In the sand, gag grouper and In the sand, gag grouper and mangrove snapper scattered as the lumbering giants approached. A large nurse shark stared at the largest goliath, then turned and sought cover under the rusting hull.

Zalewski was right. The goliath grouper clearly ruled this wreck.

Back on the surface, Spratt couldn’t hide his excitement.

“That was great really great,” he said. “I can’t wait to dive the next one.”

In one dive, Spratt, like Zalewski, became a believer in artificial reefs.

But despite their apparent benefits to anglers and divers, artificial reefs are still a controversial subject. Some biologists believe man-made structures do nothing more than concentrate existing fish populations. Others, however, believe artificial reefs eventually create their own ecosystems.

Floridians have been building artificial reefs since 1918. In the early days, some artificial reef construction amounted to nothing more than glorified ocean dumping.

Automobiles, toilets and refrigerators were hauled offshore and sunk.

Pinellas County launched its program, currently considered one of the state’s best, in 1974.

Over the years, reef builders used everything from tires to toilet bowls. Clean concrete culverts, bridge pilings and old seawalls seem to work best. Ships or barges, made fish-friendly by cutting holes in the sides, also provide good habitat for game fish.

“We are always adding to them, making them better,” Arndt said.

But there are some problems that even the reef builders can’t overcome. Since the dive recounted in this story, the South County reef was hit by devastating Red Tide.

“It still hasn’t recovered,” Arndt said. “It may take another year or two. But it will come back. I’m confident of that.”

South County Artificial Reef

What you will see:

DECK BARGES: Three steel construction barges provide excellent shelter for a variety of game fish. Range marker towers have been layered on top of barges one and three to give more vertical height to the reef. The scaffolding structure offers a great habitat for marine life because it has more surface.

SITE ONE: This area consists of recycled concrete culverts, light poles and bridge pilings. The mother pile is 90 feet long, 25 feet wide and up to 17 feet high. There are 10 sister piles that surround the mother pile. The spacing is designed to allow the fish to run and hide when stressed. Water quality and underwater visibility is great for diving.

TUG ORANGE: This 80-foot steel-hulled tug, the main diving attraction to this reef, was built in 1903 and sunk 100 years later in April 2003. It is located about 200 feet east of the center buoy marker. The bow points south and lies at a 45-degree angle on its port side. It’s not uncommon to find large schools of goliath grouper here.

SITE FIVE: Satellite piles of construction debris have been sent down in two columns to create an optimum trolling lane.

A GUIDE TO FISH

MANGROVE SNAPPER: These will most likely be found suspended on or near the reef structures. They tend to be more active, darting around looking for prey.

BONITO: Food value may not be good, but these fish provide great light-tackle action for catch-and-release fishing.

KING MACKEREL: In the spring and fall these pelagic fish stop by during their migration to feed on the bountiful baitfish.

GOLIATH GROUPER: They favor this reef because of the tugboat location, large food supply and shelter. Schools of nearly a dozen goliath grouper often have been spotted, but the recent Red Tide has driven them off or killed them.

For more information call +1 (727) 464-3896. The county offers a free brochure on the artificial reef program.

source: St. Petersburg Times