Okaloosa reefs from RESTORE

OKALOOSA ISLAND, Fla. - Okaloosa County wants to spend $1.2M of BP’s money to expand and construct artificial reef structures 15- to 20-feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico in four locations, two off Destin and two off Okaloosa Island. The reefs are designed to attract underwater life and provide an environment for snorkelers and divers, County Coastal Resource Manager Alex Fogg told the NW Florida Daily News. “You never really know what you’re going to see out there,” said Fogg. Fishermen also will be able to utilize the reefs, which attract bait fish and possibly tarpon and/or cobia, he said. The project is to be funded with a direct component grant obtained through the RESTORE Act, legislation passed in 2012 to reimburse five Gulf Coast states impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Source: NW Fla. Daily News 07/05/20)