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Artificial Reef Update
In this edition of the Coastal Fisherman magazine, we will bring you up to date on the status of the artificial reefs in Maryland’s coastal waters. Artificial reefs are manmade modifications to aquatic environments, which provide ecological benefits and enhance fishing opportunities. The myriad shipwrecks off Delmarva could be considered the first of our coastal artificial reefs. These wrecks became destinations for fishermen largely because much of the waters off the Delmarva Peninsula are a vast expanse of sand, with little natural three-dimensional relief. The wrecks provided a point of attachment for a wide variety of marine invertebrate organisms, from anemones to blue mussels and even northern stony corals. The colonizing invertebrates provide food for crustaceans and fish.
In special locations designated as artificial reef sites, fishery managers have tried to imitate the effects of shipwrecks, by placing a variety of materials to obtain the same results. Artificial reefs are built in defined areas. Areas in the ocean or coastal bays are permitted by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and when in State territorial waters, the Maryland Department of the Environment. All materials must be placed within the bottom boundaries of these permitted areas, and the materials and placement protocols adhere to guidelines established in NOAA’s National Artificial Reef Plan.
Maryland has ten permitted artificial reefs in its coastal waters. One is located in Sinepuxent Bay behind Ocean City, and the other nine are located in the offshore waters. All of the permitted sites are destinations for sport fishermen. Here is a guide to the sites.
Mason’s Reef
Located in Sinepuxent Bay behind Ocean City in the East Channel between 2nd and 5th Streets. This reef is composed of concrete prefabricated pyramids. This is an ideal location for boat anglers drifting with the tide, or for fishermen casting from the shore along the Chicago Avenue promenade. In addition, the shoreline was recently designated a license free fishing area. Fish species that may be found here include: summer flounder, black sea bass, striped bass, bluefish and Atlantic croaker.
Kelly’s Reef
Located three nautical miles southeast of the Ocean City Inlet. This reef is 467 acres in size. Reef materials include concrete rubble, prefabricated concrete units and a sunken barge. This is an ideal site for small boat anglers on calm days. Fish species that may be found here include: black sea bass, tautog, Atlantic croaker, sea trout, summer flounder and Atlantic spadefish.
Purnell’s Reef
Located 2.4 nautical miles northeast of the Ocean City inlet, this 413 acre reef site has prefabricated concrete modules, and concrete rubble. Another excellent site for small boat anglers, fish species that can be found here include black sea bass, tautog, Atlantic spadefish, Atlantic croaker, and gray triggerfish.
Great Gull Reef
Also known as Russell’s Reef, this site is slightly less than 1,000 acres in size, and is located 4.2 nautical miles southeast of the Ocean City inlet. Materials on the reef site include prefabricated concrete modules, concrete rubble and obsolete vessels. This site is within range of small boat anglers who can find the following species of fish: black sea bass, tautog, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic spadefish, and gray triggerfish.
Isle of Wight Reef
Located 6.2 nautical miles northeast of the Ocean City inlet, this 90 acre reef is situated on a gentle slope from 65 to 48 feet in depth. The reef has 22 stainless steel subway cars and concrete rubble and modules. Located between Fenwick and Isle of Wight Shoals, this is a good location for anglers to catch black sea bass, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic spadefish, and during late autumn, bluefish. On calm days, small boat anglers can easily access this site. Fish species anglers can expect to encounter include: black sea bass, tautog, cunner, gray triggerfish, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic spadefish, and bluefish.
Research Reef
Located 7 nautical miles due east of the Ocean City inlet, this reef is 304 acres in size in 70 feet of water with 22 stainless steel subway cars placed on this site. Tautog, black sea bass, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic spadefish summer flounder, and gray triggerfish can be caught at this location.
Bass Grounds Reef
Originally permitted as two distinct areas, the reef was re-permitted as one 804 acre area, 8.4 nautical miles southeast of the Ocean City inlet. The depth at this site slopes gently from 70 feet on the west side of the reef to 50 feet on the eastern side. Materials on this reef include concrete pipe, cable mounds, subway cars and several sunken vessels. Fish species that can be found on this reef include: black sea bass, cunner, summer flounder, tautog, Atlantic spadefish, and bluefish.
African Queen Reef
Located 12 nautical miles southeast of the Ocean City inlet, this 800 acre site surrounds the wreck of the “African Queen”, a freighter that sank in the late 1950’s. The vessel broke in half and today the bow and stern sections rest a short distance from each other. The wreck is a very popular location for sport anglers and scuba divers. Materials that have been placed around the periphery of the African Queen include prefabricated concrete units, cable mounds, an M60 tank, the submarine USS Blenny, the tug boat J.R. Martin (named after Jim Martin, a Maryland DNR fisheries biologist) and several sunken vessels. A variety of fish species can be found here, including black sea bass, tautog, Atlantic spadefish, gray triggerfish, amberjack, bluefish and summer flounder. Scuba divers have caught large lobsters off of the African Queen reef site.
Great Eastern Reef
Also known as the Twin Wrecks, this reef is slightly over 1,000 acres in size and is 20 nautical miles east of the Ocean City Inlet. Depths range from 95 to 110 feet on the reef. A wide variety of materials have been placed on this reef site, including cable piles and concrete. Lobsters are plentiful in the cable piles for divers that visit the site. Fish species encountered at this site include black sea bass, tautog, cunner and bluefish.
Jackspot Reef
The Jackspot is an undersea knoll with a sand hill that rises up off the ocean floor from 110 feet on its periphery to 50 feet at its crest. A popular destination for sportfishermen dating back for more than a half century, this is a high energy area with strong currents. The permitted reef is located on the NW side of the knoll. Materials include 44 stainless steel subway cars, cable piles and a 78 foot trawler. The wreck of the “Gordon Cook” is also located on the Jackspot. A diverse array of fish species can be found on the Jackspot depending upon the time of year. Pelagic species such as white and blue marlin were historically encountered here in abundance, but are no longer seen in great numbers. Wahoo, dolphin, tuna, bluefish, amberjack and a variety of sharks can be caught here and black sea bass, tautog and summer flounder can be found in and around the placed structures.
The Status of the Subway Cars
Retired, stainless steel subway cars from the New York Transit Authority were placed on the Jackspot Reef in May 2008. Later in 2008 and 2009, additional subway cars were placed on the Isle of Wight Reef, Bass Grounds Reef, and Research Reef. Maryland received an allocation of subway cars along with the States of New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and South Carolina. The shipments of stainless steel subway cars followed a successful deployment of cars made of carbon steel off Delaware, Georgia and South Carolina. The carbon steel cars showed excellent durability in the marine environment, and were quickly and effectively colonized by marine invertebrates. The more modern stainless steel cars that followed were expected to have even greater durability in the marine environment. It was soon discovered that during decades of service, cracks in the subway cars outer shell were soldered with an aluminum alloy and fasteners of carbon steel were installed over years of maintenance. These dissimilar metals appear to have accelerated a corrosive breakdown that led to a premature collapse of the cars. Anticipated to maintain integrity for 20-30 years, in some cases the cars began to breakdown in less than a year.
Reports from New Jersey, and later South Carolina indicted that many of the cars were losing structural integrity within several months of being placed in the ocean. Many, but not all of the cars, have begun to collapse. Interestingly, in some areas like the Jackspot, where high wave energy helped break apart the components of the cars, some cars remain perfectly intact. And even cars in a collapsed condition provide valuable, low profile, three dimensional relief. Marine invertebrates have colonized the material, and fish are using the structure for food and refuge.
Jack and Susan Power were instrumental in providing the funding to acquire them and the area where the 44 subway cars are located is named the Susan J Powers Reef. This reef site is providing valuable ecological and economic benefits, and should continue to do so for many years. To see a video of the Jackspot subway cars go to https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=494503363911160&set=vb.332223100084&type=2&theater
For more information on the artificial reefs off Ocean City, visit the Ocean City Reef Foundation (OCRF) website at: http://www.ocreeffoundation.com and the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative (MARI) at: http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/reefs/
If you have any questions regarding fishing or fisheries management in Ocean City and Maryland’s Atlantic coast, please send them to Keith Lockwood: [email protected] or call 410-226-0078.
