Florida collaboration launches $15M project to expand artificial coastal reef network

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida–an independent nonprofit that works in close partnership with the state agency–have launched the $15 million Coastal Corridor Project to expand Florida’s artificial reef network. The funding will support new reef deployments with a portion reserved to develop a statewide plan for future sites. The initiative will partner with local governments and nonprofits to address the high costs of preparing structures to be the environmentally safe for the long-term. Three vessels are scheduled for deployment this fall, building on the Black Pearl reef, which has, to date, attracted 26 marine species previously absent from the region.