Fire Island Artificial Reef

Zeeliner Hudson   Courtesan Alec N   Mary N   drydock  110-barge Air Force Piano    DS-24    Big Time

Depth: 62 - 73 ft

Fire Island Artificial Reef

Not Shown:

  • 1,500 automobile tires

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.


Type:
artificial reef, work boat, USA
Built:
1963, Paasch Marine Services, Erie PA, USA
Specs:
( 53 ft )
Sunk:
Saturday, August 3, 2019 - Fire Island Artificial Reef
Depth:
70 ft
GPS:
40°35.711' -73°11.684'



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.



I find this sort of material to be much more interesting than the endless rehashing of coral reefs, glowingly useless gear reviews, and "buoyancy tips" that fill up the standard glossy diving magazines.

Historical

Conservation ManualDonny L. Hamilton

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea
Peter Kemp, 1988

Lots of interesting information and trivia.




Printed from njscuba.net