Keith Lusher 11.06.24
Synthetic reefs are nothing new to the Gulf of Mexico. From deserted oil rigs to vintage avenue vehicles, the Gulf is peppered with man-made constructions that serves as a refuge for baitfish and feeding sportfish.
However have you ever ever heard of outdated phone poles getting used to type a reef? That’s what Alabama Energy and the Alabama Division of Conservation and Pure Sources has completed simply in 90 ft of water off the Alabama coast.
The reef was an addition to the Christopher M. Blankenship Reef Zone, which spans 65 miles and is positioned between 10 and 20 miles off the coast.
The reef is the fourth one constructed by Alabama Energy and consists of transmission poles and metal lattice from transmission towers.
Jason Carlee is Alabama Energy’s Supervisor of Water Subject Providers within the Environmental Affairs Division. Carlee mentioned the poles had been deployed by the Reefmaker, which is a reef-building boat out of Orange Seaside, AL. “The objective was to stack the poles in a crisscross sample, form of like Decide Up Sticks, to get some reduction and never simply mendacity flat on the underside,” he mentioned. There are additionally some transmission tower segments among the many poles. There may be a variety of floor space on these concrete poles for barnacles and different marine life to get that reef advanced began.”
Craig Newton is MRD’s Synthetic Reef Coordinator. Newton oversees Alabama’s Gulf reef zones that cowl greater than 1,200 sq. miles. “We developed a mutually useful partnership with Alabama Energy, and so they repurposed these concrete energy poles and different supplies to assemble this extra reef within the Blankenship Reef Zone that considerably elevated the range of habitat varieties which can be out there to the reef fish in that space,” Newton mentioned. “The concrete poles present a singular habitat that’s totally different from the 25-foot-tall concrete pyramids in that there are extra nooks and crannies for fish, crabs and invertebrates to hunt refuge and inhabit. It’s an exceptionally numerous reef habitat in 90 ft of water.
Newton went on to say, “I’m unsure youngsters at the moment would know what Decide Up Sticks are, however, should you can, image a configuration that resembles Decide Up Sticks in the best way these concrete poles had been deployed. Along with the facility poles, sections of a transmission tower had been deployed adjoining to and on prime of the facility poles. That gives increased vertical reduction and in addition a big variety of small, interstitial areas.”
Newton mentioned the reef can be prime habitat for purple snapper, Alabama’s signature reef species, in addition to grey triggerfish and grey (mangrove) snapper.
The reef is predicted to primarily produce grey snapper. Grey snapper desire tight quarters, which the facility pole configuration provides. Along with grey snapper, the reef must be enticing to purple snapper and triggerfish. A extremely sought-after offshore sportfish off the coast of Alabama is the better amberjack, nonetheless, the reef is a bit too shallow to be thought of a chief amberjack reef. Newton holds out hope that the reef will produce amberjack when the correct situations current themselves.
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