Artificial Reef Guide

 

Artificial reefs are improving fishing opportunities and creating new scuba diving destinations. Enjoy diving and fishing on the Pinellas County's artificial reefs.

 

These reefs provide valuable underwater habitats for marine life and are constructed from environmentally safe construction and demolition waste. Items such as concrete pipes, steel beams or entire ships are carefully placed on the ocean bottom. Within about two weeks, algae and barnacles attach to the reef material. Soon, fish come to feed on these creatures. Within a year, the reef begins to support coral growth.

 

There are 42 reef sites along the gulf coast of Pinellas County from Tarpon Springs to St. Pete Beach, located from 200 yards to 38 miles offshore, and one in Tampa Bay, located north of the St. Petersburg Municipal Pier.

 

• Site Maps
• GPS Coordinates
• Frequently asked Questions
• Photos -Videos (submit a photo for Flickr)
  • View photos on Flickr, donated by local divers.
  • How is a reef created?
    Watch the sinking of a tug boat and the placement of other reef materials.
  • What does an artificial reef look like?
    See underwater photos of reefs and marine life.

Reef Guide brochure:

• Oversize format for viewing (11" x 17" size):
  Page 1 - Page 2 - full brochure
• Print-friendly: The brochure has been divided into four letter-size (8" x 11") flyers for easy printing:
  • Angler Information
    
  • Diving and Fishing Highlights / Inshore Mitigation Reefs
    
  • Reef Map (left panel)
    
  • Reef Map / Inshore Reefs (right panel)

Local Resources:

• The Boat Ramp Finder provides descriptive information, maps and photographs for hundreds of public boat ramps throughout Florida.
• The Florida Boating and Angling Guide Series provides both interactive and printed versions of the Boating and Angling Guides for 23 regions around the state.
• Become an active agent in the study and protection of our oceans with the Cousteau Divers Participative Science Program
• To learn about local reef research and monitoring, visit Reef Monitoring.
• A study by University of Florida and Florida Sea Grant shows economic benefits from Pinellas County artificial reefs: - Fact sheet 

General Reef Information: 

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Artificial Reef Program
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI)
• Florida Sea Grant
• National Artificial Reef Plan 
• National Geographic: Relics to Reefs
• NOAA Marine Weather Forecast for Tampa Bay (text version)
• RESTORE Act Plan

 

 

 

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