Reef-building corals are the source of primary production in reef communities through symbiosis with unicellular algae (zooxanthellae). Biologically active compounds, produced by reef-dwelling organisms, possess antimicrobial and antiviral activity. These compounds may be important sources for natural product-based drugs and medicines. Tourists attracted to the beauty of coral reefs can be a significant source of revenue for communities in those areas. Unfortunately, as our understanding of coral reefs increases, it becomes apparent that the effects of human population on these communities may be increasing as well. Creating and deploying artificial reefs is one effective way groups like the Organization for Artificial Reefs, Inc. (OAR), are taking steps to help alleviate damage caused by humans.

The Organization for Artificial Reefs is a diverse group of volunteers dedicated to conserving and enhancing the marine environment of Florida's Big Bend coast and beyond. The organization, founded in 1986, is based in Tallahassee, Florida. OAR's growing membership of nearly 300 makes it Florida's largest private, non-profit organization involved in the development of manmade marine habitat. A growing list of accomplishments also makes OAR one of the most successful of these groups.

What is an artificial reef?
An artificial reef is any structure placed by man in the marine environment. Properly prepared and strategically located, they attract marine life of all kinds.

Who, or what, is OAR?
The Organization for Artificial Reefs, Inc. (OAR) is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit group of marine enthusiasts and artificial reef advocates, based in Tallahassee. OAR serves the recreational saltwater fishing community of Florida's Big Bend Gulf Coast by promoting the professional development of public artificial reefs.

OAR is committed to responsibly designing and deploying artificial reefs as a means of protecting and
enhancing a variety of marine life for the sake of both biodiversity and for promoting the enjoyment of the
saltwater environment by the sport fishing and sport diving communities. Primarily relying on volunteers, OAR is made up of a dues-paying membership base that is called upon to carry out various duties. A non-paid coordinator and an 11-member, non-paid board of directors, which holds monthly meetings open to all members, govern the organization. OAR strives to operate at every level as a professional organization with highly cultivated ties to key organizations and leaders in federal, state and local governments.

How was OAR started? By an individual, a group or due to legislation?
OAR was started in 1986 by a group of local marine enthusiasts who saw the need to create much needed habitat in the Northern Gulf for the purpose of reducing the stresses placed on natural habitat, and to create more recreational fishing and diving opportunities for both residents and tourists.

How do you obtain the money to operate and produce these reefs?
For operating funds, OAR relies on a variety of sources, including membership fees, proceeds from the sale of internally produced products, private tax-deductible donations, and government grants. Also, OAR's primary annual fundraiser is the Big Bend Saltwater Classic fishing tournament. Established in 1989, our tournament has grown into the largest saltwater fishing tournament operating on the northeast Gulf Coast.

How do you determine the location for a new reef?
OAR determines suitable locations for new artificial reef construction by utilizing the organizationÕs volunteer Research Dive Team (RDT). This group of specially trained divers is skilled in conducting the types of underwater work essential to the creation of artificial reefs. The RDT dives and evaluates possible locations looking for suitable bottom conditions. Bottom conditions play a very important role in the development of new reefs.
Suitability for a new reef site is determined by the RDT probing the sea bottom and noting the depths of the underlying substrate to bedrock, as well as the absence of significant marine habitat such as sea grasses, hard or soft corals, exposed and encrusted limestone, other than sand and granular sediments.

How long does it take, from the planning of a location, to actually dropping the material into the water?
Typically, it takes OAR around one year to create a new artificial reef. The site must first be evaluated, scientific data must be collected by the RDT and submitted with the assistance of a local government to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) for the purpose of obtaining the permit before construction can take place. The permitting process, on average, takes OAR approximately 6 months. Once the permit has been obtained, OAR determines the funding sources available to create the reef, and then subcontracts the actual deployment of the reef.

What methods are used to deploy the materials?
Deployment methods vary from reef to reef. The methods are determined by the materials being deployed and the navigational clearance required as part of the ACOE permit.

Who deploys the materials?
OAR currently subcontracts out all of its reef-deploying activities. OAR, with assistance of local governments, sends out requests for bids to various reef builders in the area. Typically, the lowest bid is awarded the contract to deploy.

Is there a particular guideline you follow for the layout of the materials on the ocean floor?
OAR creates reefs that are complex in both structure and deployment pattern. Materials are selected in an effort to create a truly balanced reef that provides a complex habitat providing shelter for a wide range of marine fish and invertebrates. The reef spacing and distribution have been designed to maximize this potential. Following the belief that an underwater structure provides a safe shelter for marine species, each group of materials is spaced roughly twenty feet apart from the center of the reef in an effort to provide an adequate foraging zone.

What are the best materials suited for artificial reefs?
There are a wide range of materials that can be used to create an artificial reef. However, there are strict
guidelines as to what materials can be used. Currently, the only permissible materials for deployment are either steel (vessels and scrap) or concrete (bridge rubble, culverts, prefabricated modules).

What are some styles of prefabricated habitats?
OAR has deployed reefs consisting of various prefabricated modules. Most recently, OAR deployed
reefs constructed solely of modules produced by Artificial Reefs, Inc. of Gulf Breeze, FL, called Fish Havens. These modules have a vertical relief of approximately 8 feet and with a base of 10 feet on each of the modules, 3 sides. These modules are specially treated during construction to allow for rapid growth. Other modules such as reef balls, produced by the Reef Ball Foundation (www.reefball.org), and Lindberg Cubes designed by Dr. William Lindberg from the University of Florida, have also been used.

How many reefs has OAR built to date?
Approximately 20 reefs have been built to date.

How long does it take for fish to inhabit a newly built reef?
Some fish move into a new reef within hours of deployment. Most of these are ornamental fish. Sport fish
such as grouper, snapper and pelagics, usually start moving in within days, sometimes weeks, of deployment. It's hard to tell for sure, because the reef is typically not monitored until weeks or months after the actual deployment date.

What is the largest reef that OAR has deployed?
The largest to date is the Bryson Memorial Reef (1998). This reef consists of two steel hull vessels as well as hundreds of tons of concrete culverts.

How can the public obtain the locations of the various artificial reefs in their area?
The locations of all artificial reefs deployed in the State of Florida can be located on the Florida Wildlife
Conservation Commission's Marine Fisheries Web site:
http://marinefisheries.org/ar/index.htm

How much do your reefs impact the sport and recreational fishing economy?
Recent studies conducted in the Florida Panhandle have shown that for every $1 spent on artificial reefs, the conservative overall socio-economic benefit of the artificial reef system, throughout its estimated functioning life, was estimated at $138.

Are there other organizations like OAR in Florida?
There are other groups throughout the state that operate similarly to OAR. However, several of these groups are part of large coastal counties and municipalities that have their own artificial reef programs and budgets.

Can anyone get involved with the OAR? If so, who should be contacted?
Anyone and everyone is invited to become a member of OAR. For more information about OAR and how to become a member, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit the Web site at
http://www.oar-reefs.org or
contact us at the OAR office at850-656-2114.