The Eagle Reef

[RememberSchiff]

This video was filmed a year ago,  John Shell's Eagle Project was to deploy 50 of the 2’x2’x3’ mini reefs across coastal Alabama. "Shell deployed the first reefs for the Eagle Reef project under the piers at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab."

 

"After six months, each reef is loaded with filter feeders (oysters, barnacles, etc.), and it will filter and clean 10,000,000 gallons of water per year and attracts fish to your wharf. It will also provide habitat to grow 500 fish and crabs annually. Each reef comes preassembled and is tied between four pilings under a dock or wharf. It floats up and down with the tide. "

Update July, 2023:

Partnerships have been established and more than 175 mini-reefs have been deployed.

An Idea Formed:

"We were fishing off the bank, and we weren't catching any fish. I wasn't used to this because my dad has a boat and we go out fishing multiple times a year, and we usually always catch fish," Scout John Shell said.

He said he thinks everyone should be able to visit the Gulf Coast and enjoy the experience of catching a fish, which was what inspired the creation of this project.

Shell conducted online research, stumbling upon ocean habitats such as reefs. While these reefs contribute to the growth of barnacles and oysters, it is their ability to purify water that particularly captivated Shell's attention.

What started out as a service project eventually became something bigger than the Eagle Scout envisioned.

"If someone has a genuine idea and it's a good idea, people will rally behind it, as we see with this project," he said.

Shell's original goal was to create 50 reefs, but with the help of support and donors, he raised $52,000 and deployed 175 reefs. This represents 1.5 to 2 billion gallons of water filtered annually, according to George Hunter, economic development manager for Spire Energy, a company that provides natural gas service along the coast.

John's Eagle Project - The Eagle Reef takes wing...

He partnered with Partners for Environmental Progress and the University of South Alabama. PEP is raising money and awareness from their memberships for cleaning the coastal waters and improving the fish populations. The University of South Alabama Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences will help with location identification, deploying, stocking and maintaining the reefs as well as monitor and testing the waters around them, which now plans to deploy 1,000 mini reefs on the Alabama coast.

More at Sources:

https://gulfcoastmedia.com/stories/eagle-scout-launches-reef-project-to-help-clean-gulf-waters,177111

https://www.wkrg.com/baldwin-county/usa-and-partners-for-environmental-progress-joining-eagle-reef-project/

https://theeaglereef.com/

https://pepmobile.org/the-eagle-reef/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/boy-scout-raises-52000-for-175-artificial-reefs-to-support-ocean-life-in-mobile-bay/ar-AA1e4fKT

Scout Salute,

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by RememberSchiff

[AwakeEnergyScouter]

This is amazing!!!

I'm going to find the right time to tell my Bears about this good example of being the person to restore what other humans have, in their ignorance, destroyed. Restoring balance to the Earth is so needed! ♥️🧘🏼‍♀️🏞️🌄

[SiouxRanger]

As a BSA Certified Angling Instructor, there are many freshwater lakes which have little to no structure in them to nurture fish populations.

There are likely all manner of artificial fish reefs that could be made to improve fish habitat from all manner of things otherwise destined for landfills.

This whole concept needs serious thought by folks with more credentials than me.

[InquisitiveScouter]

22 minutes ago, SiouxRanger said:

As a BSA Certified Angling Instructor, there are many freshwater lakes which have little to no structure in them to nurture fish populations.

There are likely all manner of artificial fish reefs that could be made to improve fish habitat from all manner of things otherwise destined for landfills.

This whole concept needs serious thought by folks with more credentials than me.

An Eagle Scout from our unit wanted to pursue his Hornaday Silver medal, after his Eagle Scout Service Project was also approved for his Bronze.

He worked with our local Fish and Wildlife officials, and constructed artificial fish habitats for our local 350+ acre lake.  

This was during the contortions of changing from Hornaday to Distinguished Conservation Service Award...

He led the construction and deployment of ten of these and sunk them in our local lake:

https://www.fishiding.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw8ZKmBhArEiwAspcJ7nWcsfdTTGGCzuMPOc6oDktN1r6ARrCrBlLWtR6XfAbvyt26c05sTxoC3uEQAvD_BwE

After about three months, they lowered an underwater camera... every one of them had fish hanging about and using them for protection!

He was the first youth in our council to earn the DCSA.

[RememberSchiff]

12 hours ago, SiouxRanger said:

As a BSA Certified Angling Instructor, there are many freshwater lakes which have little to no structure in them to nurture fish populations.

There are likely all manner of artificial fish reefs that could be made to improve fish habitat from all manner of things otherwise destined for landfills.

This whole concept needs serious thought by folks with more credentials than me.

Strongly agree. IMHO:

1. There should be some local water quality consideration in the planning. The Eagle Reef project interested me in using oysters to filter sea water. Say the local water has heavy metal contamination, do we want to add more contaminated fish into the food chain (bird and mammal predators) before addressing the water pollution?

2. I like the concept of man-made reefs/nesting areas where none exist, but with natural materials say a bundle of tree branches. There have been pass posts of using Christmas trees. PVC worries me.

My local community is considering a waterway species restoration project with the thought-limiting-carrot of state grants and federal funding . The only water qualities that will be monitored will be pH and temperature (like we did in 6th grade with our goldfish).  So breed more varieties of toxic fish, shellfish - only consume 1 a month. .

My $0.02,

Edited July 30, 2023 by RememberSchiff