Reef Ball Foundation Photos and Project Description Database

Reef Ball teams monitored the M-4 Reef Balls offshore of Sarasota which are being affected by a 3 month long Red Tide event. Fouling community growth on the Reef Balls has been reduced by 20% (whereas the concrete culverts on the same site lost 65% of their growth...probably attributed to better water circulation within Reef Balls). About 20% of the hard corals are experiencing some bleaching. Pelagic bait is abundant, however resident bait, such as tomtates is almost non-existent even though they are normally abundant. Gag grouper populations seemed normal, most appeared to have very fully bellies which is why the fishing might be a bit slower (Reported fishing effort was 1 legal grouper per hour fished with 2 lines) as was reported by fishermen on the site. Visibility was about 10-15 feet, temperature was 72 degrees F. Dead fish were observed on the bottom, mostly in the 2-4 inch size category at a rate of 1-2 every 100 square feet. We observed much higher rates of dead fish on the surface in Sarasota Bay on the way out...in some areas 10-15 fish every 100 square feet.

M-4, Reef Balls and concrete culvert about 6 miles west of New Pass in Sarasota. We positioned the boat over the ?Petey Reef?, 23 Reef Balls with the cremated remains of Carlton ?Petey? Palmer and slipped into the water. We ended up between ?Petey? and the concrete culverts. We started on the culverts and saw several snappers and some angelfish. Then we came to the Reef Balls, it was hard to make them out at first because the menhaden or porgy fish were schooling in the shape of Reef Balls so thick all I could see were fish. As we approached the Reef Balls emerged where the schools split to give us a view. Below were hundred of fish, especially the flounders, groupers, lizard fish, snappers, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and a 6 foot barracuda apparently interested in eating the schooling bait fish. Once again the growth was fantastic?.it looked so much better than the culverts that I could feel my chest swell with pride. The culverts had been down for 10 years, and these Reef Balls only one, but the Reef Balls actually had better growth! When we found the main group of Reef Balls, the story was the same and again I was proud. I followed 3 huge jewfish, one of them almost 6 feet long as they went back and forth between the Reef Balls and the culverts obviously claiming all of the reef as there own. I noticed some experimental Reef Balls with concrete poured inside with secondary domes and noted that the smallest of fish seemed to like this idea....I made notes to pass along to future builders of Reef Balls.