Four Hundred Reef Balls Slated for Deployment on the Cape May Reef
Four hundred reef balls have been constructed at Southern State Correctional Facility at Delmont and are ready for deployment on December 16, 2010. The Cape May Reef is located 9.1 nautical miles east of Cape May Inlet. The reef balls will soon be homes for more than 150 species of fish and other marine life as part of the Artificial Reef Program.
Reef Ball Construction at Southern State Correctional Facility
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Reef Ball Deployment
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Reef balls are a designed reef habitat that is well suited for drift fishing areas within reef sites. The interior of the reef ball habitat is hollow and a current vortex is created inside due to concave holes on the exterior. The exterior holes also allow marine life such as crabs, shrimp and fish to enter the interior as refuge from predators.
The reef balls will be deployed at the following six locations:
1) 38 53.648' 74 40.368'
2) 38 51.436' 74 42.418'
3) 38 50.557' 74 42.167'
4) 38 50.647' 74 42.598'
5) 38 50.607' 74 42.177'
6) 38 50.648' 74 42.500'
Commercial fishers who have gear in this area must move it or risk having it destroyed.
The deployment is subject to weather and sea conditions. For further information on this deployment contact Hugh Carberry at 609-748-2022.
For information on past and planned deployments see the Artificial Reef Deployments page.
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