Three million pounds of repurposed concrete culverts created new marine habitat off Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s Natural Resources Team and our Foundation have begun deploying 1,500 tons of concrete to create three artificial reefs off the Okaloosa County coast.
The project is the second deployment as part of Florida’s Coastal Corridor, a statewide initiative led by us and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The project created three new artificial reefs, each made from approximately 500 tons of repurposed concrete culverts. The reefs will be located roughly four to eight nautical miles from East Pass in water approximately 68 to 74 feet deep. The concrete culverts are being placed in concentrated configurations designed to create durable, complex hard-bottom habitat. Once underwater, artificial reef structures can provide places for reef-associated fish and other marine life to feed, shelter, grow and reproduce. They can also expand opportunities for fishing and diving by creating additional reef habitat offshore.
