Early New Jersey Artificial Reefs

Dykes

These seven sites on the Sea Girt Artificial Reef predate the state-run reef program:

Sea Girt Artificial Reef

Informal reef-building took place all along the coast for decades, but these are the only sites for which records exist.




Cranford reef
In life, July 1939. At this time, CRRNJ ferries were painted overall dark green. Notice how it says MEN on one side and WOMEN on the other.
Type:
artificial reef, ferry, Central Railroad of New Jersey, USA
( sometimes incorrectly identified as a barge )
Name:
All CRRNJ ferries were named for New Jersey towns - Lakewood, Bound Brook, Red Bank, Plainfield, Elizabeth, Wilkes Barre, Cranford, Somerville, Westfield, and Bound Brook
Built:
1905, Harlan & Hollingsworth, Wilmington DE USA
Specs:
( 191 x 44 ft ) 1197 tons
Sponsor:
Ashley Development Corporation
Sunk:
Tuesday March 30, 1982 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:
40°07.447' -73°56.227'
Depth:
70 ft


Dykes reef
Type:
artificial reef, schooner barge, USA
( The small smokestack in the pictures is for an electrical generator. )
Built:
1919, Union Shipbuilding, Baltimore MD USA
Specs:
( 306 x 35 ft ) 2072 tons, 14 crew
Sponsor:
Modern Transportation Co.
Sunk:
July 1983 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:
40°06.964' -73°57.571'
Depth:
65 ft



Smooth Dogfish

Smooth Dogfish
Mustelus canis

Size:
to 4ft (male)
to 5 ft (female)

Habitat:
shallow coastal waters, in depths 30 ft and below.

Notes:

Smooth Dogfish are tannish-gray, slate-gray, or brown above. The lower sides and belly are white, grayish-white, or yellow. A sooty spot is often found near the tip of the upper lobe of the caudal fin. The species is distributed from New Brunswick, Canada, to Uruguay, and inhabits the bottoms of estuaries and coastal waters out to a depth of about 650 feet. During the spring and summer, most of the sharks are found in waters less than 60 feet deep.

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