The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recently approved a request for proposals to deploy about 45 concrete power poles received from two sources, including the Florida Keys Electric Co-op’s Sea Oats Beach project in Islamorada. Monroe County’s artificial reefs director, Hanna Koch, has been working closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to prepare for this first deployment, which will be about 16 nautical miles northeast of Key West in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. These materials will provide structural habitat in an area where there is none to support marine life and provide new fishing opportunities for locals and visitors. The materials will be deployed to create three distinct patch reefs that will be added over time to increase habitat complexity and space for marine life. The program is funded through a grant from Florida.
The federal permit, submitted in February, is still under review with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but Koch is lining up a contractor now so that as soon as the permit clears, the deployment can follow.
“This deployment is the first in a long line of projects being developed to provide a number of ecosystem and economic-related services,” said Koch. “Education and raising awareness of what we are doing, why, and how will also be important parts of this program.”
In August 2023, Monroe County was awarded $10 million from the state to start an artificial reefs program in the Florida Keys. In June 2024, the state awarded an additional $5 million for the program. Artificial reefs can help take pressure off local natural reefs.
“We plan to create networks of habitats from shallow to deep waters on both the Atlantic and Gulf sides that will provide a variety of quality habitat types to a variety of marine species,” said Koch.
Koch is developing the framework for the future of the eefs program in the Florida Keys, collaborating with FWC and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. She’s also been having extensive discussions with local stakeholders and scientists to guide the development.
“Having the community’s input and involvement is crucial to a successful program,’ said Koch.
There are more than 4,000 artificial reefs in Florida, and 37 coastal counties already have an artificial reef program. In the Keys, 62 artificial reefs, including wrecks, were placed mainly between 1982 and 1989. The most recent artificial reef placed in Keys waters was the Vandenberg off Key West in 2009. More information is at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/reefs.
