Atlantic City Artificial Reef (1/3)

Atlantic City Artificial Reef

12.2 Nautical Miles off Atlantic City, 5.00 sq miles
Depth: 55-95 ft [download]

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AC Wescoat reef
The A.C. Wescoat barge, with Atlantic City in the background and clam cages on the deck.
Type:
artificial reef, barge
Specs:
( 60 x 25 ft )
Sponsor:
A.C. Wescoat Company, Fish America Foundation, Atlantic County Party & Charter Boat Association
Sunk:
Wednesday Oct 11, 1989 - Atlantic City Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°15.540' -74°14.691'
Depth:
80 ft

Ada Adelia reef
Type:
artificial reef, trawler, USA
Built:
1866, Eastport ME USA
Specs:
( 65 x 20 ft )
Sponsor:
Adelia Inc. & Andy Applegate
Sunk:
Friday Oct 11, 1991 - Atlantic City Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°15.500' -74°13.880'
Depth:
85 ft


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.




Blue Crown reef
The original name "Nina" is visible below the painted name
Type:
artificial reef, freighter, Panama
Specs:
( 205 x 40 ft )
Sponsor:
Coors Brewing Company, US Army, Artificial Reef Association, Sportfish Fund, US Customs Service
Sunk:
Friday June 10, 1994 - Atlantic City Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°14.138' -74°12.357'
Depth:
100 ft

Type:
shipwreck, charter boat
Built:
1929, Carvel Beach, MD
Specs:
( 48 ft ) 25 GT
Sunk:
Wednesday 7/20/1960
scuttled
Depth:
80 ft

The Bonito was sunk as a "fish haven", an artificial reef in modern parlance. I'm sure there is nothing left of the wooden hull, and anything else has long since disappeared into the sand, but it is interesting for being one of the earliest documented reefs.


Boston Lightship WLV-189 reef
Type:
artificial reef, lightship, USA
Name:
Named for the harbor that it served as marker for during its long active career.
Built:
1946, Devoe Shipbuilding, Bay City MI USA
Specs:
( 128 x 30 ft ) 630 tons
Sponsor:
Atlantic County, Trump Casino, Atlantic City Seafood Festival, Artificial Reef Association, Atlantic County Party & Charter Boat Association
Sunk:
Friday January 28, 1994 - Atlantic City Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°15.444' -74°14.004'
Depth:
85 ft

Brightliners Subway Cars reef
Type:
~100 "Brightliner" subway cars - NYC Subway system
Built:
1963-1964 - Budd Company - Model R32 # 3350-3949
1966-1967 - St. Louis Car - Model R38 # 3950-4149
1967-1969 - St. Louis Car - Model R40 # 4150-4349
1969-1970 - St. Louis Car - Model R42 # 4550-4949
Specs:
( 60 x 10 ft ) 10 tons ( all, typical, body only )
Sunk:
44 cars were sunk on Atlantic City Reef on April 3, 2008
more in Cape May reef and Delaware reefs
Sponsor:
New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority ( MTA )
GPS:
too many to list, and all gone anyway
Depth:
Depths vary by location

Atlantic City Artificial Reef

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Klondike Rocks
The low, shelf-like structure of the rocks, which seldom rise
more than two feet above the bottom. Cunners

These low outcroppings appear in small to large patches over a two-mile area called the Klondike, and elsewhere, at depths ranging from 60 to 90 feet. The overhangs, crags, and holes afforded by the piles of rocks and boulders provide excellent homes for fish and lobsters. Visibility can be great here at times, but it is usually 10-20 ft, with a silty bottom in most places. The larger areas extend for many hundreds of feet, and an incautious diver can easily get lost. The stone itself is a type of sandstone known as Greensand, which occurs along the northern part of the New Jersey coast, and parts of Long Island, most famously as the Shrewsbury Rocks.