Reef Ball Foundation Photos and Project Description Database

July 1999 Reef Balls ? very large (350 ? 750 pounds each), round artificial reefs are being built by 4-H youth that will be sunk in Sarasota Bay at the end of July. Bradenton-based Reefball Development Group is instructing and assisting the 4-H youth with this project. INTERESTING PHOTO/VIDEO ALERT WHAT: Reef Balls ? very large (350 ? 750 pounds each), round artificial reefs are being built by 4-H youth that will be sunk in Sarasota Bay at the end of July. Bradenton-based Reefball Development Group is instructing and assisting the 4-H youth with this project. WHEN: Friday, July 2 WHERE: South Down Inc. 1100 Central Ave, Sarasota, IN THE BACK LOT 9 ? 10:15 a.m., ? 4-H youth & Reefball Development officials will put together the large reef ball molds 10:15 a.m. ? 10:30 a.m. ? concrete truck arrives; concrete is mixed 10:30 ? 11 a.m. ? concrete truck dumps concrete into 24 large reef ball molds 5 ? 6:30 p.m. ? reef balls will be taken out of the molds WHY: The 4-H team hopes to defray destruction to Sarasota area reefs, and encourage better fishing opportunities in Sarasota Bay. The reef balls are made of specially treated concrete that has a lowered pH balance of 7, the same as seawater. Altering the pH balance will help the fish and underwater plants to accept the reef as a part of their natural habitat. FUNDING: Five personal watercraft manufacturers ? Bombardier Recreational Products, Kawasaki Motors Corp., Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., Arctic Cat, Inc. and Polaris Industries, Inc. ? donated funds to pay for materials and equipment related to the project. Personal watercraft will also be used to deploy the reef at the end of July. Because of their design and capabilities, personal watercraft are better suited to release the reef balls than traditional motorboats. There is less chance that the reef balls will be damaged, and they provide more maneuverability for the 4-H youth.

Reef Ball attended the 2004 Artificial Reef Summit at Mote Marine. Reef Ball hosted a viewing opportunity at the Reef Innovations Plant and held a reception after the summit at Reef Ball Offices in Bradenton. Agenda ?Planning For The Future? April 27 ? 28, 2004 Mote Marine Laboratory - Sarasota, FL. Summit Theme and Purpose The focus of the 2004 Artificial Reef Summit is to facilitate implementation of a state Artificial Reef Operational Plan based on the recently completed Florida Artificial Reef Strategic Plan. The Summit will also provide a forum for members of the artificial reef community to get together on a regional basis to discuss common issues and potential regional projects. Questions? John Stevely, Florida Sea Grant jmstevely@ifas.ufl.edu Bill Horn, FWC Bill.horn@fwc.state.fl.us

Whenever Sarasota County replaces a broken channel marker or installs a new one, that first put down a Reef Ball then put the channel marker through it. This balances the fish attraction function of a high profile object with fish habitat. A few of the deployment dates and locations are below...the rest you will have to find yourself so that there is not too much fishing pressure on these reefs. 9/29/97 BAY (7) 2719.909 8234.356 11/21/96 LIDO 2719.793 8234.431 11/18/96 LIDO (15) 2718.316 8233.923

"CLASSROOM ON WHEELS" FOR SENIORS Reef Ball will be gave presentation classes to the Sarasota based "Classroom on Wheels" program for Seniors. Presentations were given on October 6th, November 29th and November 30th 2000. Each presentation will started at the classroom (tentatively the Old Sarasota High School) and they concluded at the Southdown Concrete Plant to see how Reef Balls are built. Class periods were 9:45 - 11:15.

SARASOTA -- Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" and its host Mike Rowe proved last week that Sarasota County's artificial reef construction can be a dirty job. The popular Discovery Channel show came for a visit to Sarasota County on Jan. 30 to film a show in Sarasota County following the crew of Reef Innovations, a local artificial reef construction contractors, according to a county press release. The company manufactures and deploys reef balls, which give shelter to fish and marine life, Sarasota County Environmental Specialist Mike Solum stated in the press release. As part of the show, Rowe was tasked with helping produce some reef balls and the new "layer cake" ball for lobsters and stone crabs, as well as one of the fiberglass molds used to cast the balls, Solum stated in the release. Mote Marine laboratory donated a boat to Solum and the show's production team to deploy the balls, Solum stated. "In the summer, the Reef Innovations plant feels like the hot side of the moon," Solum stated in the release. "Sweltering heat with a fine layer of concrete dust everywhere. This year it was cold and windy. Then, for the film shoot, Mother Nature decided to make things interesting by adding a cold front and pushing the wind up to 20-30 miles per hour. The water was very rough with high waves white-capped as far as you could see." With the waves lapped over the bow of the 46-foot-long vessel, the crew landed on a spot where they could deploy the reef balls and shoot underwater footage, the press release stated. When Rowe arrived back on shore, he apparently caused quite a scene at City Island's Old Salty Dog Restaurant, where he chatted up diners and restaurant employees, the press release stated. "He was genuine, sincere and kind," Solum stated. "I could see why he is so popular." The show is expected to air on the Discovery Channel within the next two to six months. For more information about the county's artificial reef program, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at (941) 861-5000 and ask for Coastal Resources.

The 1st Annual Century, Cobia, Yamaha, Family Kingfish Open ($5,000 grand prize) was be held in Sarasota November 13th 1999. The proceeds went to the Sarasota County Artificial Reef Program to build more Reef Balls.

Granulated rubber produced from waste tires at Florida Tire Recycling is being used as light weight aggregate for the fabrication of artificial reef structures. Called ?reef balls?, the Swiss cheese-like structures are used primarily to restore ailing coral reefs, create new sites for scuba diving or fishing. and provide habitat for marine life. On average each reef ball produces about 400 pounds of bio-mass (animal or plant life) each year. Reef balls have a life expectance of 500 years. Over 100,000 reef balls have been deployed in 1,500 projects worldwide making the structure the most widely used design in the world. Reef balls have been have been deployed extensively throughout Florida?s costal waters including Charlotte, Sarasota, Brevard and Broward counties. For more information on reef balls contact Reef Ball Development Group, Ltd at Reef Ball or call 941/752-0169.

Reef Ball will had a booth and displays at Gee Whiz in Sarasota, Florida on March 1st 2003 as part of water day.

Fill some of your Reef Balls with suitable materials such as broken cinder blocks, natural rocks, left over pH neutralized concrete, small sized Reef Balls, etc. to gain added complexity for juvenile fish and increased diversity to the overall reef. Although the scientific investigation continues a good ?guestimate? is that between 10-20% of the Reef Balls in each major cluster should contain this treatment to more closely mimic natural reefs.

Joe is a sculptor and wants to attach his Gorgons to Reef Balls and is looking for some funding to do this. Contact him at c1cada@earthlink.net

On 9/24/97 75 Reef Balls were deployed at GPS Coordinates 2722.075 8234.477

May 2003, Sarasota Hyatt Reef Ball Project. Mixed Photos of the project.

6/24/98 (106) 2715.149 8243.182 6/24/98 (106) 2715.166 8243.149 180 Reef Balls 27"02.47' N/82" 38.81'W Offshore on the "M-4" Reef Balls, visability was much better (30 feet) and the team observed fish concentrations that where higher than the monitoring teams have ever encountered before in this area. Divers encountered massive schools of pelagics including Spanish Mackerel, baracuda, jacks, and many other. Also observed were abundant reef associated species including grouper, snapper, angelfish, jewfish (one jewfish was estimated at 6 feet in length), flounder, and many more. Growth was also excellent.

Location & deployment dates 11/30/95 M-17 (60) 2702.470 8238.810 11/29/95 M-17 (60) 2702.470 8238.810 11/28/95 (60) 2702.470 8238.810

Mote has their own Reef Ball reef deployed 11/13/99 with 40 Reef Balls at 2720.409 8233.316 They also annually do a Artificial Reef Cleanup and Treasure Hunt Participating divers have the chance to win prizes including fins, snorkels, a regulator, a dive computer and a buoyancy control device, or BCD. The cleanup will focus on nine reef sites in Sarasota Bay ranging from 45 feet deep to 60 feet deep. The artificial reefs, made up of Reef Ball Modules by Reef Innovations, are designed to increase and enhance recreational fishing and diving activities. Before the hunt begins, organizers will hide small artificial reef balls painted gold and designated with a number. Divers who find these gold ?rocks? will be awarded prizes after the cleanup ends. Gilded Reef Ball models were given as prizes.

Students from New College in Sarasota cleared the first hurdle to obtaining a $5,000 grant to study Reef Balls and now await approval from Sarasota County Commissioners. The plan on studying the best locations to use Reef Balls under channel markers in Sarasota Bay. Variable include depth, currents and proximity to habitats. Studied groups include juvenile fish, adult fish, "bait" peligic fish, stone crabs and observations on growth patterns.