WHERE’S THE REEF?

Sometimes that sinking feeling is a good thing, like when it results in the long-awaited construction of a new artifical reef.

BY LEXI HOLIAN

IN A PLACE WHERE FISHING IS A WAY OF LIFE, the opportunities for near-shore fishing have always been perhaps surprisingly limited. Anglers can cast lines in-shore or head more than 20 miles offshore to reel in the day’s catch, but the sandy ocean floor surrounding the Outer Banks doesn’t have the right structure to support complex marine habitats within a few miles of land.

But that’s beginning to change this year with a new project backed by the Outer Banks Anglers Club. In an effort to create more near-shore fishing, the group has worked with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to design an artificial reef about seven miles from Oregon Inlet.

“The purpose of artificial reefs is to create a habitat and to create opportunities for anglers and divers,” says the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Coordinator, Jordan Byrum. “That’s why we build artificial reefs here in North Carolina.”

Part of the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, the Division of Marine Fisheries has created 43 offshore reefs and 25 estuarine reefs over the years, some of which are oyster sanctuaries. The offshore reefs are located anywhere from a half mile to 38 miles from shore and many can be reached from major inlets. Along with providing new habitats for marine life, they can attract fishermen, divers and other types of ecotourism.

Formally known as site AR-165, the new reef near Oregon Inlet was born when the Outer Banks Anglers Club – and within that, the Oregon Inlet Artificial Reef Committee – decided to pursue a new fishing spot.

“The Outer Banks has long been known as having world-class offshore fishing,” explains Dick Parker, chairman of the Oregon Inlet Artificial Reef Committee. “People come here from all over the country to fish in our nearby Gulfstream waters. With the addition of AR-165, our near-shore fishing could very well be as spectacular as our offshore fishing.”

Members raised funds through revenue generated from fishing license sales and local donations, including a generous $20,000 donated by T.W.’s Bait & Tackle. They then began coordinating with the Division of Marine Fisheries in 2016 to choose a location for an artificial reef and work through the lengthy federal permitting process.

“These are great places for folks to fish and dive,” Jordan says of the new reef and four other artificial reefs in the area. “And they’re close enough to Oregon Inlet that even small boats can get out on a pretty day. You don’t have to go far.”

AR-165 is 162 acres in size, so there will be plenty of room to add to the reef over time. (If you’re trying to visualize it, think of a circle with a 1,500-foot radius.) The water depth is about 65 to 68 feet, and there’s a good hard sand bottom. In the future, spring at the reef could entice species such as bluefish, cobia and Spanish mackerel, while winter might bring in black sea bass, sheepshead and red drum.

The project really kicked off with a bang this past January when the first of three retired, ocean-going tugboats was sunk with much fanfare at the site of the future reef. Many members of the Outer Banks Anglers Club watched the sinking avidly, having spent years – and hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money – working toward that moment.

About 4,000 tons of concrete pipe came next, followed by a second massive tugboat in April. The initial construction of the reef will be complete later this summer or early fall after a third tugboat and another 3,250 tons of concrete pipe go into the reef.

“It’s very deliberate,” Jordan says of the tugboat sinking process in particular. To start, marine contractors anchor the boat and use gasolinepowered pumps to begin filling it with water. They also cut holes in the sides of the hull called soft patches – as the boat sinks, the surrounding water eventually reaches those holes and comes rushing in. The sinking is almost immediate after that.

Concrete pipe, on the other hand, is dropped so that the pipes are stacked on top of one another. Those pipes will eventually become completely covered in growth which will attract a multitude of fish – and Jordan’s personally visited some artificial reefs in North Carolina with comparable pipes that have held up well for more than 30 years.

“We want something that’s biologically suitable,” Jordan explains. “In addition to being durable and lasting a long time, we also want something that’s tall enough – that when sand moves around it, it’s not going to get covered up. Large concrete pipes and heavy steel boats are good materials for that.”

And it doesn’t take long, either. When asked whether there are fish at AR-165 after the deployment of the first two tugboats, Jordan admits that he isn’t sure. But he does note that when a similar tugboat sunk at site AR-320 off Pine Knoll Shores in North Carolina, there were already fish around the boat 30 or 40 minutes after it hit bottom.

“I’m sure at this point, with the warm water there and the cobia around this time of year, there are some fish at AR-165,” he says cheerfully.

It may remain to be seen. But even now, fishermen, divers and other watermen can set their coordinates for 35° 41.672’N, 75° 26.313’W and find out for themselves exactly what lies beneath.

One of the retired tugboats just before it was sunk at site AR-165 in order to create a new artificial reef near Oregon Inlet. Photo courtesy of Jason Peters with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.