General Question - Rock pile or artificial reef structure hold more sea life?

[Basking Ridge Diver]

I am currently land locked for now and I am wondering about the summer months...

For those that have been on both rock piles and sunken structures - I generally see decent size fish around the APCs and boats that are sunk with very little lobster sightings. Are the rock piles and debris fields better for sea life and lobsters? Or does it just depend on the day, weather, current and any other natural phenomenon?

Thanks - I have a new GoPro and I am thinking about life outside of the inlets and back bays.

 

[njdiver1]

The man to ask is Mr. Hugh Carberry, Supervising Fisheries Biologist, NJDEP 609-748-2022. He is responsible for the proper placement of all materials on our Artificial reef System.

 

[chairmanTARAC]

Mr Carberry is the man to ask since there are many factors involved in creating a habitat. Creating habitat for lobsters is way different they creating habitat for varying species of fish. Its like creating a hotel for Gambling or just for lodgeing

 

[industrious95]

My observations:

First of all, it depends on the day, weather, current, alignment of the stars and planets and whether or not you stepped on a crack. And whether another dive boat was there the day before.

That being said, lobsters hide in holes. There are some artificial "structures" that have lots of holes that are good for lobsters. "Rods & Cables" comes to mind, which is a huge pile of construction debris. Of course, those rods and cables are entanglement hazards from all the monofilament stuck on them. It's not my favorite site, although many lobster divers love it there.

Large structures seem to be best for blackfish. Of course, they get inside where they can be very difficult to spear. I've pulled a few bugs out of the APC's, but the sunken tugs nearby don't offer a lot of lobster hiding spots. Most of my buddies don't even want to go to the tugs. Seen one seen them all.

Broken up wrecks are great for lobster. The wooden schooners are full of holes between the ribs, but they're visited so often that they get picked clean. There are a few small wooden wrecks that can really only support half a dozen divers at a time that aren't on the commonly visited listed of wrecks.

I like the natural rock piles. Usually good for lobster, sea bass and fluke. You don't get a lot of blackfish on rockpiles, if that's your pleasure. The only problem with rock piles is that they are usually low to the bottom, rising no more than 5 feet (with a couple of exceptions.) After a storm, the bottom is so churned up that you get very low visibliity (2-3 feet). Still, with a flashlight and wreck reel they are easily navigated.

Finally, every dive boat captain has his "secret numbers." I'm pretty sure it's all the same rock pile, but who knows? With a few exceptions, rock piles look like rock piles, at least until you've been on them several dozen times.

Hope you get to join us next year.

 

[danvolker]

I am currently land locked for now and I am wondering about the summer months...

For those that have been on both rock piles and sunken structures - I generally see decent size fish around the APCs and boats that are sunk with very little lobster sightings. Are the rock piles and debris fields better for sea life and lobsters? Or does it just depend on the day, weather, current and any other natural phenomenon?

Thanks - I have a new GoPro and I am thinking about life outside of the inlets and back bays.

I can answer with what I have observed off of Palm Beach and Lauderdale......over 4 decades.... Rock piles pull fish in , but not nearly as well as the much larger vertical relief that is part of a shipwreck....and I have never seen any rock piles that will compare to a good shipwreck.

As to lobster, they like deep undercut ledges...Shipwrecks are poor for this, and rock piles have never been good places to find lobster for us...

Some of the best places are natural "blow-outs" in limestone strata..