The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) successfully sank a derelict freighter off the state’s southeast coast last month, creating the base for a new artificial reef 9 miles offshore of the St. Lucie Inlet.
On 18 November, the commission sank a 227-foot derelict freight vessel called the Borocho as part of its Derelict Vessel program. Officials hope the craft will serve as valuable long-term for fish living in coastal waters.
"There's not much there – just sand. It's flat desert area in the water. So, we want to provide relief off the sand so the goliath grouper have somewhere to go, the snapper, the mahi," FCW Coastal Program Manager Jessica Garland told local news outlet WPBF. "Out that far, there's nothing for them other than bottom fish on just sand. So by having the relief, there are other fish out there.”
An FWC derelict vessel investigation found the freighter had fallen into disrepair after sitting for a decade unused on the Miami River. After determining that artificial reefing was the lowest-cost disposal option, FWC hired Resolve Marine Group to relocate and sink the freighter. The artificial reef was named Boo McCulley Reef in honor of John “Boo” McCulley, whose company McCulley Marine partnered with the state in developing artificial reefs.
“This new reef will provide vital marine habitat, enhance local fish populations, and create new opportunities for fishing and diving,” FWC said in a release. “The Boo McCulley Reef now marks the southernmost extension to an over 1.14-nautical-mile-long fishing corridor established in 2002 within the Sirotkin permitted area.”
