Creating Ecosystems & Enriching Communities

 

Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary is an NGO in Florida that focuses on building public awareness of the importance of reef ecosystems. They do this through creating easily accessible reefs off the coast of Florida, there are three sites easily accessible to snorkelers of all levels. These sites are off the shores of Navarre Beach Marine Park, with 105 reef trees set up between three different reef sites. They also run a set of marathons in October for all experience levels. There is a 10k run, a 5k run/walk and even a one-mile fun run for the children! They host an afterparty for all participants and give out awards. Join them in the fun this year!

                                        

Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary also has reefs one mile offshore to assist in restoration after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Funding came from the Damage Assessment (NRDA) Early Restoration funds. They have established 557 artificial reefs in their mile off the coast site. They are going strong with 47 reef structures being set up in January of 2021! These reef structures are made domestically in Alabama with concrete and covered in limestone to mimic the normal substrate that the organisms in the area are used to attaching to.

To top it off Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary also has an Adopt a Reef program where you can adopt one of the 183 artificial reef trees available to adopt at this point for a tax deductible 500-600 dollars. You can have your name or even a saying you like placed on a kiosk in the area with the donation! These reefs help enrich the community and ecosystem at the same time. For the enthusiasts, Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary gives three local easily accessible snorkeling sites. For academics, it opens up research opportunities and can pull in grant funding. Finally it gives shelter and a new ecosystem for thousands of tropical marine organisms!

If you enjoyed reading this post and would like to learn more about artificial reefs, NOAA has splendid resources to learn more.