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 Miami-Dade County's
Department of Environmental Resources Management
recently announced a mooring buoy program that will
help Miami scuba diving interests by providing areas
to tie a boat, rather than drop an achor. I am
working to secure sponsorship of the two mooring
buoys that will be attached to the
Jose Cuervo Reef, the world's only
artificial reef in the shape of a
margarita bar. May 5, 2010 was the 10th anniversary.
If you are interested in developing a South Beach
promotion with an environmental theme, contact me:
kenenglishmiami@gmail.com.
The underwater bar was intended
to be part of a near-shore snorkeling and
shallow-water scuba diving area, just
east of
Nikki Beach. The snorkeling trail & scuba diving
idea has been on hold since 2001, but it is
discussed from time to time as part of
a proposed underwater art park. For more information,
click the Jose Cuervo Reef link on the right.
In mid-September, DERM launched the pilot Mooring Buoy Program in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Coral Reef Conservation Program. The goal of the program is to help protect Miami-Dade County's coral reefs from damage caused by boat anchors. Twenty mooring buoys have been installed near six popular natural reef sites throughout the county. The mooring buoys will allow boaters, scuba divers and fisherman to tie their vessels to a buoy instead of dropping their anchors onto the fragile coral reefs. Potential future expansion of this program includes installation of an additional 17 mooring buoys at other natural and artificial reef sites.
In order to protect our natural reefs from the stress of excessive human interaction while encouraging recreational fishing and sport diving in coastal waters, "artificial" reefs are created out of a wide array of objects ranging from steel hulled ships, to army tanks, to commercial aircraft, to specially designed reef "modules," such as the margarita bar. Recent News
Freighter is the newest artificial reef off Key Biscayne The Miami-Dade County Artificial Reef Program, one of the largest and most popular artificial reef programs in the nation, expanded on Dec. 30, 2009 with the sinking of a 205-foot freighter off Key Biscayne. The "Ophelia Brian" freighter, previously named "Sea Taxi," is the largest artificial reef sinking off the coast of Miami-Dade since the DEMA Trader in 2003, and will help enhance marine habitat in the area of Key Biscayne as well as help the local scuba diving and fishing industries. The sinking of the "Ophelia Brian" was done in cooperation with the Brian and Lavinia Snyder Foundation and the Miami Dade Reef Guard Association. The Ophelia Brian now rests about 500' east northeast of the Proteus (deployed in 1985) in 110' with approximately 40' of relief.
This video is from a
promotional DVD produced 2000 to showcase Miami's
recreational scuba diving . Additional videos area available
on YouTube by clicking the links under VIDEO on the
right sidebar or Googling: Miami Beach Scuba Diving.
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On
March 29, 2010, the 10th Eternal Reefs array
consisting of six memorial Reef Balls was deployed
at the Golden Beach Artificial Reef Site. The Reef
Balls were deployed in about 43 feet of water with 2
feet of relief approximately 1 nautical mile east of
the town of Golden Beach. The Reef Balls are
adjacent to other reef ball deployments and 3
boulder "patch" reefs.
