Deployments Made at Fire Island Reef and Six Other Reefs Will Continue the State’s Efforts to Provide New Marine Habitat, Promote Biodiversity and Restore Fishery Resources
New York’s Artificial Reef Program Bolsters L.I. Economy ThroughIncreased Opportunities for Fishing, Tourism and Recreation
Governor Cuomo Also Recognizes 90th Anniversary of Jones Beach
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched the second year of the largest artificial reef expansion in New York State history, as part the State’s ongoing initiative to develop a stronger, more diverse marine ecosystem and provide shelter for fish and other marine life off New York’s shore. The Governor today deployed recycled materials at Fire Island Reef from the Staten Island Expressway, Kew Gardens and Kosciuszco bridges, Erie Canal and the retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers steel vessel M/V HUDSON, which will create a new marine habitat. The materials for today’s reef expansion – as well as six more announced for this year at Atlantic Beach, McAllister Grounds, Yellowbar, Kismet, Matinecock and Twelve Mile – will be strategically placed to improve New York’s diverse marine life and boost Long Island’s recreational and sport fishing and diving industries.
«New York State is doing more than any state in the United States when it comes to climate change and protecting the environment,» Governor Cuomo said. «Reefs are great for the environment and the economy, and the new reefs created under our comprehensive artificial reef program are already incredibly successful. We are going to continue this success by bolstering the Fire Island reef with an assortment of material, and show that New York, and Long Island in particular, can and will be the showcase to demonstrate how to build a green economy and a green environment for the rest of the nation.»
As directed by Governor Cuomo in April 2018, and with unprecedented, multi-agency coordination, recycled materials from the State Department of Transportation (DOT), New York Power Authority (NYPA)/Canal Corporation and the Thruway Authority, among other partners, are being put to new use and helping to develop New York’s artificial reef sites.
The 744-acre Fire Island reef, located two miles from shore with a depth of 62-73 feet, is the most recent recipient of materials that include:
From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
The retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers steel vessel M/V HUDSON. Built in 1963, the M/V HUDSON served in many rescue efforts during its time at sea and measures nearly 53 feet in length and weighs 19 tons. Its commendable career includes responding to helicopter and aircraft crashes, collecting fisheries sampling and water quality and sediment samples to support navigation maintenance dredging work, and the recent deepening of the New York and New Jersey Harbor to 50 feet, enabling the region to continue to compete in the world of international commerce.