Why Monitor Public Artificial Reefs?

[Candy]

Public Artificial Reef Monitoring Project

It is a common desire of fishermen and divers to have more permitted areas off our coast. While there are several criteria considered by the Corps of Engineers when they determine what is needed in any given area, one of their very important considerations is if our currently permitted areas are being monitored.

Monitoring is a very expensive task and our county’s access to funding is very limited. This creates a dilemma, should the funding that is available be spent on deploying more reefs or spent on monitoring what we already have.

The Emerald Coast Reef Association has started a Public Artificial Reef Monitoring Project. Any diver can volunteer to participate in the project to help us collect data. We, as local divers, are visiting the Public Artificial Reefs on our dives anyway so it will cost us nothing to observe and report on their conditions.

When we have compiled the entire report and it is ready to turn over to the County Artificial Reef Office, every person that contributed to the report will be listed as contributors to the report.

If you would like to help us monitor our Public Artificial Reefs, please read the instructions in the Forum titled “Public Artificial Reef Monitoring Project”

The Emerald Coast Reef Association would like to thank all the volunteers that contribute to this project. You are doing something that will have tremendous impact on our area’s ability to secure more permitted areas. THANK YOU!

[stone]

Why Monitor Public Artificial Reefs?

Agencies at the Federal, State, and County levels make decisions concerning our local fishery based on the data they receive from various sources.

Example: As you know, the Federal and Florida State limit on Red Snapper was reduced to 2 fish per person per day (Feb 2008); however, in the Pensacola - Destin area, anecdotal evidence suggests that Red Snapper populations have exploded.

Anecdotal evidence is not enough. The Emerald Coast Reef Association would like to provide the most accurate and relevant data possible to those decision making authorities.

Please consider using the form in this sub-forum to record your fishing/diving experiences on Okaloosa Artificial Reefs (and natural reefs) so that the ECRA can quantify game fish populations.

If you would like to learn more, please read the instructions in the thread titled “REEF MONITORING PROJECT (Open to the Public!)”

The Emerald Coast Reef Association thanks all of the volunteers that contribute to this project.