Martin County, Florida has had an active artificial reef program since the 1970s. The program began with deploying tires and other materials and has since expanded to deploying vessels, bridges, and concrete structures. Local organizations like the Martin County Anglers Club and volunteers have been instrumental in funding and coordinating reef deployments. Over 100 artificial reefs have been created through this program to enhance recreational fishing and tourism.

1. Martin County, Florida Artificial Reef Program Past to Present

2. Martin County, Florida The Past to The Present of our Artificial Reef Program

3. 1970’s Martin County Artificial Reef Map

4. Martin County 1986 Map 1986 Martin County Artificial Reef Map

5. Lady Stuart Fund Raiser Fishing Trip “ Lady Stuart” Fundraising October 1986

6. Lady Stuart Cartoon October 1986 Lady Stuart Cartoon October 1986

7. Total of 61 Reefs NEW 2009 Map

8. Reef Areas Named for the Original Past “Reeftirees” Donaldson Bill Donaldson, mayor and postmaster of Pontiac Michigan from 1954-72, retired to Stuart and helped lead campaigns to build artificial reefs in the Atlantic near his southern Florida community for 13 years. Sirotkin Al Sirotkin, Capt. Al Sirotkin Ernst Dr. Edgar Ernst (Dentist), In I97I, the Stuart Sailfish Club sponsored the Dr. Edgar Ernst Artificial Tire Reef consisting of 75,000 concrete-weighted auto and truck tires, 3 steel barges & 2 school bus bodies

9. Donaldson’s Tires & Toilets Reef October 1977 Auto & Truck Tires & Old Hotel Plumbing

11. Bill Donaldson called it "Martin' County‘s welcome mat" for migrating sport fish. " June 1987

12. USS Rankin Evinrude Memorial Reef

13. St. Lucie & Martin Counties working together

14. Awards Commissioners & Volunteers

15. 29 Reefs Deployed 2000 to 2007 29 Reefs Deployed 2000 to 2007

17. Martin County’s Artificial Reef Program & MCAC Reef Fund, Inc.

18. “ Our Underwater Desert” The Ocean Floor FISH HOTELS IN THE DESERT

21. 29 Reefs Deployed 2000 to 2007 Reef Name Materials Site Deployment Dates Mitigation Site A bridge pieces Nearshore July-Sept. 2000 Mitigation Site B bridge pieces Nearshore July-Sept. 2000 Mitigation Site C bridge pieces Nearshore July-Sept. 2000 Evans Crary Bridge bridge pieces Ernst Summer 2000 Tetrahedron Stack Reef concrete tetrahedrons Sirotkin April 4 and April 25, 2001 Tetrahedron Patches concrete tetrahedrons Sirotkin March 28 & June 28, 2002 Tree Barge 140’ barge Sirotkin April 19, 2002 Wickstrom Ship 168’ cargo ship Sirotkin January 21, 2003 Railroad Tie Stack concrete RR ties Sirotkin Mar 13, May 9, and June 23, 2003 High Queen and Zeppo tug & 120’ barge Sirotkin August 7, 2003 Five Peaks RRtie Patches concrete RR ties Sirotkin June 2 & 28-29, 2004 Tension Barge 140’ barge Sirotkin July 17, 2004

22. ReefMaker Triangle Reef concrete & steel units Donaldson May 18, 2005 ReefMaker Texas Reef concrete & steel units Donaldson May 20, 2005 ReefMaker Cement Barge concrete & steel units Donaldson May 20, 2005 ReefMaker Traffic Barge concrete & steel units Donaldson May 20, 2005 ReefMaker Upside Down Barge concrete & steel units Donaldson May 20, 2005 ReefMaker Inlet Barge concrete & steel units Donaldson May 20, 2005 ReefMaker Patch N concrete & steel units Sirotkin May 21, 2005 ReefMaker Patch C concrete & steel units Sirotkin May 21, 2005 ReefMaker Patch S concrete & steel units Sirotkin May 21, 2005 ReefMaker Tree Barge concrete & steel units Sirotkin May 21, 2005 Clifton Perry Memorial bridge pieces Donaldson Jan to May 2005 Frances Langford Memorial bridge pieces Sirotkin Feb to Aug 2005 PCL Deep Site bridge pieces Sirotkin October 2006 PCL Shallow Site bridge pieces Donaldson Nov.– Dec. 2006 PCL River Reef bridge pieces IR Lagoon Nov. 2006 – Jan. 2007 KD Select Reef concrete pieces Sirotkin 3 New Reefs in Ernst Site concrete pieces Ernst

24. Community Involvement Contributors Sponsors Advertising Donating time, materials, fresh ideas . . . .

26. Baratta Map The MCAC Artificial Reef Fund DEEP REEFS

27. THE WICKSTROM Headed for the Sirotkin Reef Site Deployed January 21, 2003

29. Wickstrom Wheelhouse

33. HBOI

35. Group at HBOI with Towers

36. “ BRAGGIN’ BASH” Auction Winner Dr. Baratta’s Artificial Reef

37. Towers ready on the barge for deployment

38. Underwater Kerry Dillon, Diver Sea Rover Services

40. 1 st Place Kingfish Award The Conigiaro Family on “The Fuelish”

42. Map of South County Deployments these new reefs need new names New South County Reefs

43. South County Deployment New South County Reefs

47. N EW N AME : F OGEL C APITAL M ANAGEMENT R EEF A REA : S OUTH C OUNTY O RIGINAL N AME: M IDEAST R EEF L OCATION : Latitude N 27° 04.773’ Longitude W 80° 02.297’ D EPTH : 70 FEET John J. Burke President, MCAC Reef Fund MCAC Artificial Reef Fund CERTIFICATE OF NAMING RIGHTS DATE Kathy Fitzpatrick, P.E. Martin County Coastal Engineer

51. Here's a photo 14 hours later after the first This is obviously after the deployments were just about completed.

52. the post deployment dives and measurements of the reefs footprint on the seafloor

53. Here's the first of several photos of the new reefs underwater. This one is at site "Charlie", the peak at 174 ft. in 187 ft. of seawater. This one we got lucky and two of the large concrete boxes landed on top of each other with a culvert sticking out of the top one. This photos was taken on Saturday Aug. 29 th 5 days after deployment on the 24 th

54. Yes there are baitfish already on the new reefs. This is the Alpha site in the morning dive, 6 days after the reef was built on the 24 th

55. Coming Soon – TUG BOAT “BIG AL” Donated to MCAC Fund by American Custom Yachts for our next project TUG BOAT “BIG AL” COMING SOON

56. 69’ TUGBOAT “BIG AL”

59. Our Special Thanks to: FWC Grants Florida Sea Grants Harbor Branch Oceanographic Martin County Anglers Club Stuart Sailfish Club Safari I Deep Sea Fishing Marine Industries Sea Rover Services McCulley Marine