Information for the Angler & Diver

Pinellas County Utilities has thirteen artificial reef sites, 3 to 38 miles offshore, in the Gulf of Mexico. Each reef's individual design has different sized openings for different sized fish. These openings attract bottom dwellers like grouper, snapper, and grunt. The height of the structures attracts migratory species like mackerel, amberjack, cobia, barracuda, and baitfish. The reef sites can have a base diameter of up to 100 feet and reach up to half the water's depth.

Approximately two weeks after placing the reef material on the ocean floor, barnacles and algae form on the reef. Soon, sea urchins and small fish come to feed on the new reef. Within the year (typically between six and nine months), the reef begins to support coral growth. After a year of coral growth, several types of invertebrates, such as sea squirts, inhabit the reef.

The reef crew has placed mooring buoys on several reef sites for boats less than 30 feet. Boaters can directly tie on to a line attached to these buoys. These buoys eliminate the danger of an anchor becoming entangled in a reef and provide an easier way to moor your vessel. In addition, any reef site with an active construction permit will have a yellow center buoy.

note: Latest Updates March 13, 2008