The work would be done simultaneously with the cities of Marco and Naples.
Once the dumping of the concrete on the sea bed is complete, it will be the biggest artificial reef in the Western Hemisphere. A total of 36 individual reefs are proposed to be built in groups of six, and further extension can always be done and new refs can be added a indicated by a member of the region's Economic Recovery Task Force.
The funds for the project to the tune of $1.5 million is being made available in part by a grant from the BP oil spill restoration fund, apart from private donations. It is expected that in addition to boosting the local marine ecosystem, the artificial reef system will ultimately bring in $30 million to the area annually. These reefs could offer a safe habitat for young sport fish, which are popular with Gulf fishermen, and also create a popular area for divers to explore.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 8 January 2015 and, by December 2015, will set out into the Gulf by flotilla. The project would take approximately six months for completion and fishes could start moving in within 12 hours after the reef is created.
