New artificial reefs coming to a Gulf near you

[WaterWayne]

From the Associated Press:


"Damage to offshore oil and gas platforms from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has tripled the number of requests to convert rigs into artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries usually gets 10 to 12 requests each year to use abandoned rigs to create fish habitat. But that number has soared to 40 requests this year...

"Oil and gas platforms in the program are located in federal waters, more than three miles off the Louisiana shore, with most between 35 and 75 miles out, clustered in nine approved planning areas. To date, 144 have been used as reefs.

"This year's hurricanes damaged another 166 rigs."

So I looked up the saying, and it goes like this: "It's an ill wind that blows no (or nobody) good."

 

[MichaelBaranows]

That sounds great. But are they going to stay in LA water or are they going to be coming west. I would like to see a few more come to the Freeport or Matagorda area.

 

[JonAustin]

Has anybody ever dived on any of these platforms? Any good?

 

[Ten9T6]

Has anybody ever dived on any of these platforms? Any good?

Are you talking in general or these new ones?

If your talking about rig diving in general, I have several friends that love these dives and I have seen some awesome pictures. I plan to make a trip or two this next year.

Kenny

 

[MichaelBaranows]

I was able to dive a few rigs last summer and they are great. Now I haven't been able to dive and sunked rigs but there are a few in the Fogg area I will be diving once we get some nice water. Working rigs are great cause they are like a vertical reef and millions of fish.

 

[Dee]

Rig diving is great! Whether working or not, the structure is covered in corals and everything else you see on a reef, you'll see the same type of fish. But what I find really cool is the predators that circle the outside of the rig structure. Barracuda, all kinds of game fish, and even some sharks. Very cool!

 

[Hemlon]

We were in Cozumel last Friday and due to its recent hurricane (Wilma) it now has lost a good portion of the section of the Palancar reef that we dove in 2004.

However, the upside (if there is one) is that several HUGE sections of the international ship pier are now underwater. They have formed an artificial reef and the fish seem to be in pure heaven!

After this experience, I am definitely pro-artificial reef!

 

[archman]

the structure is covered in corals and everything else you see on a reef, you'll see the same type of fish.

I think it's just Mobil HI-A389 that maintains corals, due to its proximity to the Flower Garden Banks. Except for ahermatypic Oculina and Astrangias, which are common near the bottom of many rigs.

But yeah, several species of the hardier Caribbean settlers grow on inshore platforms. I need to go "shopping" at one soon for some more live critters.

I agree with you Mike about working rigs. It's a much more entertaining dive when there's structure in the shallows. Easier to tie up, too.

I can forsee in the near future, weeklong liveaboard trips venturing out onto the outer continental shelf where these rig "concentrations" are. You could hit 2-4 rigs per day, easy. That sounds great. Sign me up.

 

[Crawl79]

Louisiana definetly needs a live aboard to dive these rigs, that would be good competition for the Flower Garden Trips.

 

[chairmanTARAC]

Most of the damaged rigs will stay in LA. We attempt to move a few to Texas but have only been successful in rigs that border our zone and where our reef sites are closer than La. Every Individual rig dive is different. Cross members and jacket construction vary changing types of marine growth. Thank you hemlon, You should dive the HLP Pyramid or Conoco structure and see what reefs do. The Texas Clipper should be primo Pray for this summer if EPA ok's