FWC Artificial Reefs Newsletter

Hello Florida Artificial Reef colleagues,

Please see below for Florida’s latest artificial reef news, notes and reminders:

• Southwest Florida Artificial Reef Workshop, Bradenton, FL: March 8, 2023
• Florida Artificial Reef Grant Applications for FY 23-22 Reminder: Due April 21, 2023
• Job Announcement: FWC Artificial Reef Biological Scientist, Tallahassee, FL: Due March 5, 2023
• Farewell and Congratulations to Emily Jackson FWC Artificial Reef Program Biological Scientist
• Florida Artificial Reef Database Update – January 2023
• Recent Artificial Reef Publications, Reports, and Webinars

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2023 Southwest FL Artificial Reef Workshop, Bradenton, FL: March 8, 2023

This meeting will bring together artificial reef managers, scientists and others interested in artificial reefs to discuss new research, statewide initiatives, and regional updates for Florida’s Southwest region. This one-day workshop will be held at the Manatee County Extension Office in Bradenton, FL. Interested participants can register using the following link: Southwest Florida Artificial Reef Workshop Registration, Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 8:30 AM | Eventbrite

For more information, please contact Angela Collins, abcollins@ufl.edu, or (941) 722-4524 ext 1826.

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FWC Call for Florida Artificial Reef Grant Applications FY 23-24 Reminder: Due Friday, April 21, 2023.

FWC artificial reef construction and monitoring grant applications continue to be accepted for fiscal year 2023-24. Applications are due Friday, April 21, 2023 by 5pm (ET).  Please note that applications for artificial reef construction must still be accompanied by documentation of an active permitted site valid through September 30, 2024.

We encourage all applicants to further build upon the success of the November 2020 Virtual Artificial Reef Summit: Bringing the Future of Florida’s Artificial Reefs into Focus by proposing projects to address some of the key topics discussed at the summit. This includes incorporating new monitoring techniques and reef designs, collaborating with local stakeholders to design reefs to address local concerns, understanding how the design and location of an artificial reef may influence fish species differently, and taking into account how artificial reefs may influence local fishing effort. Applicants are encouraged to explore these topics to help guide their construction and monitoring project ideas, and clearly demonstrate how the proposed project fits within the FWC Artificial Reef Strategic Plan. The announcement, application forms and instructions can be downloaded from the FWC Artificial Reef Program website. Applicants are encouraged to contact staff for pre-application consultation prior to submittal.

 

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Job Announcement for FWC Artificial Reef Program Biological Scientists, Tallahassee, FL: Applications Due Sunday March 5, 2023.

The FWC Artificial Reef Program is seeking candidates for one biological scientist position located in Tallahassee, FL.  The position will manage grants and contracts for artificial reef development and research, compile, analyze and interpret biological data, conduct SCUBA assessments of artificial reef habitats and prepare technical reports.  Cover letter, resume, and completed job application must be submitted online via the State of Florida PeopleFirst website by midnight, February 19, 2023.  For more information, please visit the People First website as follows: FTE, BSIV Position (closing date 3/5/2023): F & W BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST IV - 77072574 (myflorida.com)

Farewell and Congratulations to Emily Jackson, FWC Artificial Reef Program Biological Scientist

Artificial Reef Biological Scientist, Emily Jackson has taken a position in California with the Wrigley Marine Science Center and her last day was January 13, 2023.

During Emily’s time with FWC, she was instrumental in managing grants with various counties throughout Florida, as well as ensuring the Florida Artificial Reef Database was up to date.

We congratulate Emily on her new role and are thankful for Emily’s contributions towards Florida’s artificial reef management and look forward to her continued work in the field of marine conservation.

Florida Artificial Reef Database Update – January 2023

The January 2023 updates to the Florida Artificial Reef Location database have been updated and posted on the FWC Artificial Reef Program website. Coordinates can be viewed on the interactive map viewer and downloaded as a .pdf, Excel spreadsheet, GIS shapefile, or .kml file. County Artificial Reef Managers – please verify that all recent deployments are accounted for within your respective region.  Please notify FWC Artificial Reef Program staff of any corrections and submit Material Placement Reports for any missing or new deployments via email: ArtificialReefDeployments@MyFWC.com.

As of January 2023, the FWC Artificial Reef Program reports an estimated 3,998 artificial reef deployment locations state-wide. Artificial Reefs are about evenly divided between state and federal waters and range from 4 feet in depth to 500 feet (average depth 61 feet).

If you have any questions about a specific reef or have updated information regarding the condition or location of an artificial reef please make note of the FWC DeployID number and email  ArtificialReefDeployments@MyFWC.com. 

FWC Marine Fisheries Workshops - Goliath Grouper: February 28 and March 1, 2023

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is holding virtual public workshops to gather public input on a proposal to reduce potential impact of catch-and-release fishing on goliath during spawning.  Staff will provide a brief presentation on the proposal that would enact seasonal fishing closures at three goliath spawning aggregation sites off Martin and Palm Beach counties and gather public feedback prior to final rulemaking at an upcoming Commission meeting.  All stakeholders interested in the management of goliath grouper or fishing for other species at these locations are encouraged to attend.

Two virtual workshops will be held:

      Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., EDT

      Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., EDT

More information about how to participate in the webinar will be available on FWC website prior to the webinar date: https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/rulemaking/workshops/

Recent Artificial Reef Publications and Reports

Steward, D.N., A.B. Paxton, N.M. Bacheler, C.M. Schobernd, K. Mille, J. Renchen, Z. Harrison, J. Byrum, R. Martore, C. Brinton, K.L. Riley, J.C. Taylor, and G.T. Kellison. 2022. Quantifying spatial extents of artificial versus natural reefs in the seascape. Frontiers in Marine Science 9: 980384. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.980384.

With increasing human uses of the ocean, existing seascapes containing natural habitats, such as biogenic reefs or plant-dominated systems, are supplemented by novel, human-made habitats ranging from artificial reefs to energy extraction infrastructure and shoreline installments. Despite the mixture of natural and artificial habitats across seascapes, the distribution and extent of these two types of structured habitats are not well understood but are necessary pieces of information for ocean planning and resource management decisions. Through a case study, we quantified the amount of seafloor in the southeastern US (SEUS; 103,220 km2 in the Atlantic Ocean; 10 – 200 m depth) covered by artificial reefs and natural reefs. We developed multiple data-driven approaches to quantify the extent of artificial reefs within state-managed artificial reef programs, and then drew from seafloor maps and published geological and predictive seafloor habitat models to develop three estimates of natural reef extent. Comparisons of the extent of natural and artificial reefs revealed that artificial reefs account for substantially less habitat (average of two estimates 3 km2; <0.01% of SEUS) in the region than natural reefs (average of three estimates 2,654 km2; 2.57% of SEUS) and that this pattern holds across finer regional groupings (e.g., states, depth bins). Our overall estimates suggest that artificial reef coverage is several orders of magnitude less than natural reef coverage. While expansive seafloor mapping and characterization efforts are still needed in SEUS waters, our results fill information gaps regarding the extent of artificial and natural reef habitats in the region, providing support for ecosystem-based management, and demonstrating an approach applicable to other regions.

(summary article by Scott Baker, North Carolina Sea Grant): How Much Ocean Floor Off the Southeast Coast Do Natural Reefs Occupy? Sea Grant North Carolina, October 31, 2022.

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Other Related Job Opportunities

FWC Biological Scientist IV – Jacksonville, FL (closing date 2/27): FISHERIES & WILDLIFE BIO SCIENTIST IV - 77072667

FWC Biological Scientist IV – Tallahassee, FL (closing date 2/27): FISH & WILDLIFE BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST IV - 77072865

Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent I-IV - Santa Rosa County: https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/525597?fbclid=IwAR1pUMIfz3kYV6gqRhsoWiJdtuMiZ5Sk62fe-dainiqULLuMOhHaIoiPhkA

TAMU Research Specialist I-II – Corpus Christi, Texas: https://tamus.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/TAMUCC_External/job/Corpus-Christi-TX/Research-Specialist-I-II_R-058961

 

Regards,

Keith Mille, Biological Administrator II

Division of Marine Fisheries Management - Artificial Reef Program

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

1875 Orange Avenue East, MS 4B2

Tallahassee, FL 32311

web: http://MyFWC.com/artificialreefs/

office: (850) 617-9633

mobile: (850) 509-2974

email: keith.mille@myfwc.com

If you need to change the e-mail address that these messages are sent to, would like to add any additional e-mail addresses, or if you would like to unsubscribe from this distribution list, please send a reply to this email at keith.mille@myfwc.com.  Thank you.