Shinnecock Artificial Reef

Shinnecock Artificial Reef (historical)
( 40.80139, -72.47293 )

2.0 Nautical miles south of Shinnecock Inlet, 0.55 sq miles
Depth: 76 - 84 ft

  • Asylum is described as a 60' steel vessel, sunk 2025.
  • "unknown" is described as a 46' steel hull pleasure craft, sunk 1987.

Shinnecock Artificial Reef (now)

Shinnecock Reef was originally very small, but has been expanded greatly. The pink region is the historical area, and the blue region is the new deployment zone, while the full permitted size of the reef is a 1-nm square that encloses the deployment zone.

In the old version of the website, I had the names Marlu and Maroca recorded for this reef. When I got the new photos of most of the reefs, Maroca became apparent - it is spray-painted on the transom of the vessel. Marlu was harder, but I think I have that one figured out as well - New York lists it as a 70' vessel without a name. I also had a second drydock at Fire Island that I think belongs here. New York's reef program was moribund for so long that the records are unclear.

Reef site coordinates differ from NOAA Navigational Charts.

old side-scan sonar image of Shinnecock Reef, click to enlarge

Note the remains of the drydock at lower-left, the square lighthouse at top-center, with Marlu and Mandy Ray to the right. The freckles at the upper-left are 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.



100 ft steel barge ( on a much bigger barge )
Type:
artificial reef, barges
Depth:
79 - 84 ft
Name Description Sunk GPS
60 ft steel
dredge
1987 40°48.063'
-72°28.622
Caddell 157 ft wood
drydock
Wednesday
September 12, 1990
40°48.007'
-72°28.634'
Dump Scow
DS-106
100 ft steel Wednesday
June 20, 2018
40°48.179'
-72°28.461'
Shannon C 60 ft steel Friday
Nov 5, 2021
40°48.118'
-72°28.390'
Henri 130 ft steel 2025 40°47.984'
-72°28.486'




Gammarus

Amphipod crustaceans typically range in size from 2 to 50 mm, although a few may be larger. Amphipods are common in aquatic ecosystems throughout many parts of the world, inhabiting marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. A few species are also terrestrial. Amphipod means "different foot", a reference to the varied legs that are evident in the illustrations, as opposed to isopods.

The order Amphipoda, which contains nearly 7,000 described species, is divided into three suborders: Gammaridea, Caprellidea, and Hyperiidea. Gammaridea, with more than 5500 described species, is not only the largest amphipod suborder but also contains all of the freshwater and subterranean taxa. Approximately 21 superfamily groups, 95 families and more than 1000 genera are recognized within this suborder.