Originally published by Mobile Bay Magazine on July 22, 2024.
Written by T. Jensen Lacey. Photography by Matthew Coughlin, with the featured photograph by Alex Fogg.
Mobile Bay Magazine joined Captain Stewart Walter and the crew of the Maranatha II 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.
Aboard the Maranatha II
The 165-foot Maranatha II 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.
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.
Building Long-Lasting Marine Habitat
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.
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.
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 Maranatha II whose work helps expand sustainable marine habitat throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
Read the complete feature and view the original photography at Mobile Bay Magazine.