Great Egg Artificial Reef

7.2 Nautical Miles off Atlantic City
Depth: 50-70 ft
Rothenbach II

Great Egg Artificial Reef

This reef is composed largely of Army tanks and tire units ( not shown ) and concrete castings. Minimum clearance at mean low water is 40 feet.

Great Egg Artificial Reef

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.


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.



Horseshoe Crab

Horseshoe Crabs Limulus polyphemus are extremely common in the rivers and bays of this area. They are actually more closely related to spiders than to the other crustaceans on this page. In fact, technically they are not crustaceans at all. Despite their fierce-looking array of claws and spines, they are completely harmless.

They are also completely inedible - not even the native Indians would eat them except in the direst emergency. They are nonetheless threatened by man since vast numbers are collected commercially for fertilizer, bait, and other uses. Horseshoe Crabs are found from the water's edge down to 75 feet.

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