10 APRIL 2000 SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FISHING NEWS REEF BALL UPDATE By Todd Barber, President & CEO, Reef Ball Development Group, Ltd Reef Innovations has moved production operations back to Sarasota and is now set up and producing Reef Balls in Sarasota.
There will be a Reef Ball booth set up at "Take Pride in Okeechobee" on April 1st at the Army Corps facility in Clewiston.
This is in conjunction with the Reef Ball project which is placing 100 Reef Balls in Lake Okeechobee this spring.
National Marine Fisheries Service has set up a hotline for reporting Jewfish sightings at . When you
are diving Reef Balls, please keep an eye open for these majestic fish. They are especially looking for reports on smaller
individual fish. Look for a rounded tail as a clue that the grouper you see is a Jewfish. The smaller individuals often have a
patchy coloration of black and white squares.
Manatee County revealed its five-year artificial reef development plan and it includes 9 sites with Reef Balls including
experimental arrays for studying deployment spacing. Each site will ultimately contain between 100 - 300 Reef Balls.
120 Reef Balls will be deployed late this spring off Fort Lauderdale in conjunction with a scientific study by NOVA
Southeastern University.
Todd Barber and Tanya Streeter (World Record Freediver) are leading a Reef Ball coalition trip from April 18th - 25th to
celebrate "Dive Into Earth Day". During the week long trip to the Island of Dominica the volunteers will be building and
deploying Reef Balls in a location that will be designated as a marine reserve.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency published in the "Demonstration Projects Series" a report titled "Punta
Gorda Waterfront Juveniles Fisheries Habitat Project" about Reef Balls. We encourage everyone interested in Reef Balls
under docks or in estuaries to order a copy of this publication. EPA842-F-00-005S (Call ; it's free.)
The article summary is as follows:
"LESSONS LEARNED"
· The Reef Balls colonized with oysters and other marine organisms much more quickly than expected under private docks.
· Within weeks.....
