Manasquan Inlet Artificial Reef

Manasquan Artificial Reef

2 miles off Manasquan Inlet
Depth: 67-74 ft

Manasquan Artificial Reef

Manasquan Inlet Reef
The squiggly purple lines are undersea cables

The Manasquan Inlet Reef site is located 1.7 nautical miles southeast of the inlet, which is just north of Ocean County’s Point Pleasant Beach. When fully developed, it will occupy nearly one square mile of seafloor in water from 67 feet to 74 feet deep. The reef is part of a compromise reached in 2015 that settled fishing gear use and access to artificial reefs between recreational and commercial fishermen and restored federal funding to New Jersey’s artificial reef program.

Putting a fishing reef directly in the approaches of one of the busiest inlets on the East Coast doesn't seem like a great idea to me, but I guess I am wrong about that, because there it is. I think my "Pinta Reef" would have been a much better idea.





rock reef
A hopper barge full of rock

All manner of concrete, steel, and stone rubble from dredging, demolition projects, and other construction is used as artificial reef materials. This material is generally available at very low cost or free from construction companies who are more than happy to get rid of it. Transportation costs determine where this material is used by the Reef Program.


This new feature inside the Manasquan Inlet reef site will be called the Maher Terminals Reef in recognition of the donated material by Maher Terminals, located in Port Elizabeth, NJ. The material consisted of 151 concrete forms, measuring 40 feet x 8 feet x 1.5 feet each. The forms, once used for shipping container inspections, were no longer needed and were slated for demolition and disposal. Center point coordinates are 40° 04.617' N and 073° 59.040' W.


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H10224/86-88 -- OPR-C121-WH-86-88; DEVELOPMENT 240; PREVIOUSLY UNCHARTED WRECK INVESTIGATED WITH 50M RANGE SIDE-SCAN SONAR AND DIVER; DIVERS FOUND A BADLY DETERIORATED WOODEN 140 X 40 FT BARGE, SITTING UPRIGHT ON A SAND BOTTOM; ALTHOUGH THE SOUTHEAST END OF WRECK IS MORE INTACT, THE LEAST DEPTH WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTHWEST END; 49 FT PNEUMATIC DEPTH GAUGE LEAST DEPTH TAKEN ON THE TOP OF A WOODEN SUPPORT RIB. (ENTERED MSD 4/91)

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