<h2>Super Reef Modules Expand Habitat off Bay County</h2><p>Walter Marine participated in the second phase of a major artificial reef deployment in federal waters off Bay County, Florida. The project placed prefabricated Super Reef modules within Large Area Artificial Reef Site B.</p><p>The deployment area is approximately 17 to 31 nautical miles offshore from St. Andrew Pass. Modules were placed at depths ranging from approximately 101 to 138 feet to create habitat at varying water depths for reef-associated fish.</p><h2>Complex Structures for Marine Life</h2><p>The deployment included marine-grade concrete Super Reefs with internal habitat discs and vertical poles. Some of the larger pyramid-style reefs reach approximately 25 feet in total height, while EcoDiscs provide additional surfaces for encrusting organisms, baitfish and juvenile fish.</p><p>The project was coordinated through partnerships involving Bay County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County, Florida Sea Grant and Walter Marine.</p><h2>Supporting Long-Term Gulf Restoration</h2><p>The work was funded through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment program associated with the Deepwater Horizon settlement. Its goals include restoring marine habitat, supporting reef-associated fish populations and expanding recreational opportunities for anglers and divers.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> This is an original ReefMaker summary based on information published by Florida Sea Grant. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flseagrant.org/bay-county-continues-artificial-reef-deployment-in-federal-waters-of-the-gulf-of-america/">Read the original report</a>.</p>

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Walter Marine Deploys Super Reef Modules in Bay County Federal Waters

<h2>New Artificial Reef Sites Deployed off Pensacola</h2><p>Walter Marine worked with the Escambia County Marine Resources Division to deploy 217 concrete modules across 43 artificial reef sites off Pensacola, Florida.</p><p>The reefs were placed approximately 4.5 nautical miles southeast of Pensacola Pass in water depths ranging from approximately 45 to 55 feet. The project expands habitat for Gulf marine life while creating additional destinations for recreational fishing, diving and scientific research.</p><h2>Designed to Support Research and Marine Habitat</h2><p>The reefs were constructed and arranged through an experimental design process intended to provide researchers with information about the performance of different artificial reef configurations. The collaboration included Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Sea Grant, the University of West Florida and local high-school science educators and students.</p><p>Thirty-nine sites were supported by $500,000 in Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment funding. Additional funding from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission supported three sites, while friends and family privately funded a memorial reef honoring the late Capt. Robert Edward “Eddie” Lively.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> This is an original ReefMaker summary based on reporting from WEAR-TV. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://weartv.com/news/local/escambia-county-deploys-43-new-artificial-reefs-off-pensacola-pass">Read the original report</a>.</p>

Planning an artificial reef deployment? Contact ReefMaker to discuss site requirements, module selection, manufacturing and professional marine installation.

Walter Marine Deploys 217 Modules Across 43 Escambia County Reef Sites

<h2>Walter Marine Completes Major Artificial Reef Deployment off Dog Island</h2><p>Walter Marine, the Orange Beach, Alabama-based company behind ReefMaker, deployed 54 artificial reef modules across two permitted sites off Dog Island, Florida, on July 25, 2026.</p><p>The project was coordinated by the Tallahassee-based Organization for Artificial Reefs and supported by a grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Walter Marine crews precisely placed the modules to establish five patch reefs designed to provide durable habitat for fish and other Gulf marine life.</p><h2>Building Productive Marine Habitat</h2><p>Artificial reef modules introduce stable, structurally complex habitat in areas where natural bottom relief may be limited. Openings, textured surfaces and varying module configurations provide shelter and attachment areas for marine organisms while creating new destinations for fishing, diving and scientific observation.</p><p>The deployment demonstrates how reef contractors, nonprofit organizations, state agencies and coastal communities can collaborate on long-term marine habitat projects. Walter Marine handled the offshore deployment using the specialized marine equipment and experience required to position the modules at their approved coordinates.</p><h2>Memorial Reefs Create a Lasting Legacy</h2><p>The deployment also included memorial reefs honoring Bryce Buda and Spencer Walker. Families, friends and supporters attended by boat to observe the structures being lowered to the seafloor.</p><p>The Bryce Buda memorial module was reported to stand approximately eight feet tall and weigh nine tons. The memorial reefs combine habitat creation with a permanent tribute that can support marine life for years to come.</p><h2>Deployment Location</h2><p>The new reef structures were installed approximately 10 miles offshore in about 42 feet of water. Their placement expands the network of publicly managed artificial reefs serving Florida’s Big Bend region.</p><p>ReefMaker and Walter Marine design, manufacture and deploy artificial reef systems for marine habitat development, recreational fishing, diving and coastal restoration projects.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> This article is an original ReefMaker summary based on reporting by Frank Stephenson for Franklin County News. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://franklincounty.news/2026/07/27/marine-memories-for-life/">Read the original report</a>.</p>

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Walter Marine Deploys 54 Artificial Reef Modules off Dog Island

<p><strong>Originally published by </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mobilebaymag.com/reefmaker-building-the-gulfs-artificial-reefs/"><strong>Mobile Bay Magazine</strong></a><strong> on July 22, 2024.</strong></p><p><i>Written by T. Jensen Lacey. Photography by Matthew Coughlin, with the featured photograph by Alex Fogg.</i></p><p>Mobile Bay Magazine joined Captain Stewart Walter and the crew of the <i>Maranatha II</i> for an overnight voyage from Orange Beach into the Gulf of Mexico. Their assignment was to deploy hundreds of purpose-built artificial reef structures in permitted waters off the coast of Navarre, Florida.</p><h2>Aboard the Maranatha II</h2><p>The 165-foot <i>Maranatha II</i> serves as ReefMaker’s primary deployment vessel. Captain Walter and his experienced crew prepare the vessel, transport the reef structures and carefully position each deployment using dynamic positioning technology. This system allows the crew to place reefs within approximately three meters of their approved coordinates.</p><p>Before deployment begins, local and state officials inspect the selected locations to confirm that the structures will be placed over suitable, otherwise barren seafloor. Reef locations are coordinated with agencies including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the United States Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.</p><h2>Building Long-Lasting Marine Habitat</h2><p>ReefMaker’s artificial reefs are manufactured using Florida limestone and concrete. Their varied openings, cavities and surfaces provide shelter and habitat for marine life ranging from juvenile species to mature grouper and red snapper. Some larger structures also incorporate fish aggregating devices designed to attract additional marine activity.</p><p>During the deployment documented by Mobile Bay Magazine, the crew installed 42 grouper reefs, 20 super reefs and 194 Florida limestone artificial reefs across approximately eight and a half miles of Gulf waters.</p><p>The feature provides an inside look at the planning, skill and coordination required for large-scale artificial reef deployment. It also highlights the people aboard the <i>Maranatha II</i> whose work helps expand sustainable marine habitat throughout the Gulf of Mexico.</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mobilebaymag.com/reefmaker-building-the-gulfs-artificial-reefs/"><strong>Read the complete feature and view the original photography at Mobile Bay Magazine.</strong></a></p>

Read the Full Article at Mobile Bay Magazine

News & Updates

Walter Marine Deploys Super Reef Modules in Bay County Federal Waters

Walter Marine Deploys 217 Modules Across 43 Escambia County Reef Sites

Walter Marine Deploys 54 Artificial Reef Modules off Dog Island

ReefMaker: Building the Gulf’s Artificial Reefs