Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Thousands of bushels of clam shells to become oyster habitat
A barge carrying tens of thousands of clam shells was located just south of Atlantic City Monday night, on its way to Barnegat Bay. Its final destination will be a one-acre site in the central portion of the bay that scientists have identified as a historic site for oyster growth. The 8,000 bushels of clam shells – from more than 80,000 individual clams in all – will be used as an artificial reef on which oysters can grow, providing hope the area can be brought back to its once-productive glory. The project is being speaheaded by the American Littoral Society in partnership with the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program and local group ReClam the Bay. "Most oysters grow attached to other shells," explained Bill Shadel, Habitat …
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Launch of giant crab to reef was delayed from last month
A 47-foot-long hoseshoe crab replica slated to become part of an inshore artificial reef is scheduled to be sunk off northern Ocean County on Thursday morning. After months spent planning and building his creation, sculptor Chris Wojcik’s ultimate plan – to put the crab on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean – was postponed due to weather last month. It was supposed to have been placed at the Axel Carlson reef – located about 2.5 miles off Bay Head and Mantoloking – July 25. On Monday, the state Division of Fish and Wildlife's Bureau of Marine Fisheries, which oversees the state's artificial reef system and the deployment of materials and structures onto its 15 sites, said Thursday has been chosen as the new deployment date. According to …
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Former Navy destroyer begins new life as an artificial reef.
Robert “Lew” Sax remembers the day aboard the USS Arthur W. Radford when the crew had to tend to a burial at sea. The veteran in question was decked out in uniform, with all of his medals, ready for his final journey, Sax said. “The family wasn’t allowed to be on the ship,” he said. "So we had to take photos for them.” And Sax, who served on the Radford from 1985-87, was tapped to be a pallbearer. “I’ll never forget the CO (commanding officer) saying over the PA system, ‘All hands bury the dead.’ “That’s what I feel like I’m at today, a burial at sea,” Sax said, as the Cape May Lewes Ferry, the M/V Delaware, motored out to the site where the Radford was moored, awaiting its release into the 120- to 130-foot depths of the Del-Jersey-Land …
Tom Cular
8:03 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
BTW, it's going to take a lot more than 1 barge load of shells to be effective. more ›