Axel Carlson Artificial Reef ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Axel Carlson Artificial Reef

2.0 Nautical Miles off Mantoloking, 5.19 sq miles
Depth: 65-80 ft [download]

The Axel Carlson reef is situated in a trough next to an underwater hill known as the Manasquan Ridge. This is an area of silty mud bottom and usually has relatively poor visibility. Axel Carlson reef is sometimes referred to as the Mantoloking reef. It also contains a number of sunken army tanks ( not shown. ) Minimum clearance at mean low water is 40 feet.

The pink areas on the chart are the "Full Access Zones", approximately 0.6 square miles. These are the areas where commercial fishermen will continue to be allowed to set their traps and lines as of 2015. For the rest of us, those are more like "No Access Zones," but some sort of fair compromise needed to be reached with the commercial fishermen, some of whom could legitimately claim to have fished those spots for generations.

The actual location of the Carrabassett is a secret.

Axel Carlson Reef side-scan — Side-scan image of the entire reef, back when it was largely empty

Much more recent side-scan, showing build-up of rock piles
NOAA

Ed Schmidiger YON-81

Type:: artificial reef, barge, tank, US Navy
Built:: 1942, Levingston Shipbuilding, Orange TX USA
Specs:: ( 174 x 40 ft ) 200 tons light
Sponsor:: Ocean Wreck Divers
Sunk:: Wednesday October 8, 1997 - Axel Carlson Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°00.587' -73°59.391'

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Caterina.D

Type:: artificial reef, trawler
Built:: 1973, Bishop Shipbuilding, Aransas Pass TX USA as America 200
Specs:: ( 70 ft ) 137 gross tons
Sponsor:: Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club
Sunk:: Tuesday April 24, 2007 - Axel Carlson Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°01.650' -73°59.747'
Depth:: 80 ft

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Megan Sue

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat
Built:: 1960, Diesel Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL, as Nomad
Specs:: ( 61x17 ft )
Sponsor:: "4 of Clubs" - DVD, Ocean Wreck Divers, MRMTC, Ann E Clark Foundation
Sunk:: Sunday January 9, 2005 - Axel Carlson Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°03.181' -73°59.310'
Depth:: 80 ft, top at 60 ft

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Army Tanks

M60 tanks reef — M60 tanks undergo a thorough cleaning before use as reefs

The Artificial Reef Program used four types of obsolete Army armored vehicles as artificial reef materials off the New Jersey coast. These were cleaned at local military bases, loaded onto barges for transport, and pushed off at their final destination. Once the Army had disposed of its excess inventory, the program ceased, around 1999. The Artificial Reef Program has sunk almost 400 tanks altogether, far too many to list them here in this website.

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