ARTIFICIAL REEFS, 1: Recycling useful materials to make 
artificial reefs ... we explain ahead on Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

What do concrete, decommissioned ships and retired oil 
platforms have in common? They're all materials used to 
create artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. But if you ask 
Dale Shively which is best material for creating this 
marine habitat, he says: it depends. 

04 -- We have all of those materials in our program, and they all 
serve a different purpose.

Shively is TPW program leader for artificial reefs. 

27 -- Farther off shore, we have mainly petroleum platforms. 
They're solid, stable, and durable. They're massive structures that 
give a lot of area to invertebrate growth and bring in a lot of fish 
species. Ships that we put out are good habitat, but they're also 
primarily to bring in diving opportunities. And then as you move 
in closer to shore, in our near shore reefs, we use a lot of 
concrete - bridge rubble and things like that - that are good for 
fishing.

The reefs create habitat for marine species, and this leads 
to better angling and diving opportunities. 

12 -- What we've seen with the Texas Clipper project, is that 
economic returns for angling could be over a million dollars a 
year back to the local economy. Whereas diving could be several 
million. 

Find an article on the value of artificial reefs in the June 
issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

The WSFR supports our Series. For Texas Parks and 
Wildlife, I'm Cecilia Nasti.








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