James Gray, Indian River County January 14, 2015
East Central Florida Region Matt Culver, Brevard County James Gray, Indian River County Jim Oppenbourn, St. Lucie County Kathy Fitzpatrick, Martin County
East Central Region Facts Surrounded by 5 Tidal Inlets Is home to the Indian River Lagoon -156 mile Estuarine habitat to hundreds of fish and animal species Includes natural offshore Hardbottom biological communities
Total Tons Artificial Reef Deployments 2010-2014 7,500 9,750 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 0 0 0 3 0 850 0 2 7 17 Brevard Indian River St. Lucie Martin County Reefs Total Tons Vessels
Total Regional Reef Construction 2010-2014 Between 2010 and 2014 18,100 tons deployed; 3 vessels sunk 26 New Artificial Reefs Created 26 reefs created 3 vessels sunk
Natural Ecosystem AR Project Areas Range: Extends from the Estuary to 16 NM offshore Depth: 20 ft. up to 200 ft. of water Ocean Bottom: Flat barren sandy bottom devoid of natural Hardbottom outcroppings; adjacent to Oculina Banks HAPC and wide Continental Shelf Biotic Communities: Widely scattered echinoderms and mollusks common to FL
Interaction of Artificial Reefs in Ecosystem Artificial Reefs enhance Ecosystems Estuarine Reefs: improve water quality, provide fish habitat, and protect shoreline Deep Water Reefs: provide hard relief and structure for attachment and shelter creating the basis for reef ecosystems
Stakeholders & Primary Users Stakeholders: Local Governments FWCC, Division of Marine Fisheries Management Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, University of Central Florida, Florida Tech, etc. Local Fishing Associations Primary Users: Local Residents/Businesses Anglers Divers
Artificial Reef Objectives Reefs are built for several different goals: Habitat and Recreational enhancement Fisheries conservation Economic Stimulus Educational Benefits Effective way to recycle unusable concrete and vessels
Reef Design & Construction Considerations Availability of Materials Stakeholder Input Reef Accessibly Reef Relief - High Relief created for recreational fishing - Low Relief created for habitat enhancement
Reef Monitoring & Evaluation Estuarine Reefs: regular monitoring for oyster settlement, health and growth as well as cataloguing the associated species. Deep Water Reefs: regular monitoring for fish assemblages, benthic communities sponges, corals, algae, etc. and reef settlement. Vessel Reefs: regular monitoring for fish assemblages, movement, structural integrity, and settlement. Reef Success and Performance: Determined by a combination of survey results, public feedback, anecdotal reports from fisherman, and data from annual fishing tournaments.
Are Reefs Meeting Objectives? Habitat and Recreational enhancement YES! Fisheries conservation YES! Economic Stimulus YES! Educational Benefits YES! Effective way to recycle unusable concrete and vessels YES!
Reef Objective Measurement of Success In Indian River County, a new local non-profit organization Atlantic Reef and Marine Conservation Society, Inc. was created to expand the artificial reef program. In St. Lucie County, a local non-profit organization Sea-life Habitat Improvement Project, Inc. was created to help Treasure Coast artificial reef programs find and deploy large naval vessels. In Martin County, a local non-profit organization MCAC Reef Fund, contributes directly to the reef program.
Other Issues, Factors & Considerations Availability of: Funding Materials Suitable For Reef Construction Material Staging Areas Permitted Reef Sites Local Marine Contractors
Challenges and Lessons Learned Challenges: Development of Partnerships with material suppliers/donators Time Lessons Learned: Utilize the Community Promote reef program through presentations and press releases Engage other County departments in your reef programs Ex. Indian River County s Road and Bridge Dept. is supplying, receiving, and storing reef materials for future deployments Develop a contract technical specification for donation of reef materials Encourage local stakeholders and reef users to become involved with your reef programs Invite local FWCC Law Enforcement to reef deployments
Reef Management Next 5 years Brevard: Develop a series of patch reefs in the newly reauthorized Permit site Indian River: Continue to construct/monitor reefs in offshore site; Permit new reef sites 5-7 miles south 4 miles east of Sebastian Inlet; develop estuarine habitat St. Lucie: Continue to construct/monitor reefs Martin: Continue to construct/monitor reefs
THANK YOU! East Central Florida Region Matt Culver, Brevard County James Gray, Indian River County Jim Oppenbourn, St. Lucie County Kathy Fitzpatrick, Martin County Special Thanks to FWCC and our Project Partners!!!