The creation and enhancement of three artificial reef sites off the coast of Texas began in December 2016. These are three of five Texas-based projects approved in 2014 to compensate for lost recreational use resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Reefing—the process of creating an artificial reef—began at the Freeport Artificial Reef Project site in December. Over the next several months Callan Marine LTD, a contractor for the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, will install 800 concrete pyramids for this project. The project is located at the George-Vancouver nearshore artificial reef site approximately six miles from Freeport, Texas.
Once the Freeport Artificial Reef Project deployment is complete this winter, reefing will begin on the new Matagorda Artificial Reef site. This site is approximately 10 miles offshore from Matagorda County, Texas. Callan Marine LTD will place 1,600 concrete pyramids 60 feet below the water to create reefs.
In January 2017, a 371-ft cargo vessel was sunk 67 miles offshore from Galveston as part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Ship-to-Reef program. The ship, named the Kraken after the mythical sea monster, was sunk using best management practices. These new artificial reef sites will become home to a variety of fish, coral, and other invertebrates in the Gulf of Mexico.
Watch video of the Kraken being sunk: