LA - World’s largest artificial reef: world record off Grand Isle, Louisiana
The reef has set the world record for being the World’s largest artificial reef, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.
Grand Isle, Louisiana, United States--The Louisiana Artificial Reef Program created the a giant artificial reef from the Freeport Sulfur Mine off Grand Isle, Louisiana; now called Grand Isle #9, this huge reef has over 1.5 miles of bridgework and is composed of more than 68 structures and it stands in 42-50 feet of water and has 27 feet of clearance.
"In 1999, the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program created the world’s largest artificial reef from the Freeport Sulfur Mine off Grand Isle, Louisiana. Now called Grand Isle #9, this huge reef has over 1.5 miles of bridgework and is composed of more than 68 structures. It stands in 42-50 feet of water and has 27 feet of clearance," the Louisiana Sportsman says.
"But today, 20 years later, anglers rarely ever fish Grand Isle #9, even on tournament weekends. Perhaps they have forgotten about this fish magnet, since it is not as easy to fish as the standing rigs which only require a rope or a rig hook to be on top of the fish. More than likely, anglers just gave up on fishing it because trying to anchor and get your boat in position takes a lot of effort and probably more than a few anchors.
"Louisiana Sportsman also offers subscribers the 68 way points on the reef in a format that will download straight onto their GPS devices for free. Scroll down to the bottom of this story to download Captain Paul’s Fishing Edge, “Grand Isle Offshore Reef.”
"The Louisiana Artificial Reef Program was established in 1986 to take advantage of obsolete oil and gas platforms which were recognized as providing habitat important to many of Louisiana's coastal fishes. Federal law and international treaty require these platforms to be removed one year after production ceases. The removal of these platforms was seen as a loss of reef habitat," the National Wildlife Federation says.
"Since the program's inception in 1986, more than 70 oil and gas related companies have participated in the program and donated primarily the jackets of oil and gas structures. In addition to material, companies also donate one half their realized savings over a traditional onshore removal into Louisiana's Artificial Reef Trust Fund.
"In 1999, the Louisiana Program created the world's largest artificial reef from the Freeport sulfur mine off Grand Isle Louisiana. The sulfur mine, with over 1.5 miles of bridgework, is composed of more than 29 structures. The reef is in 42‐50 feet of water and has 27 feet of clearance. For safety of navigation it is marked by 5 lighted buoys. Forty (40) Armored Personnel Carriers (APC's) and one offshore tug are also deployed within two offshore artificial reefs."
"The largest inshore limestone artificial reef project in state history dropped the last of its 8,000 tons of limestone last week onto four acres of old oyster reefs along long-submerged Independence Island," The Advocate says.
"The island, now 3 to 4 feet under water, once existed north of Grand Terre and just a few miles northeast of Grand Isle. One of the most popular speckled-trout fishing sites in that area, the island's dying reef habitat gradually has been covered by mud from coastal erosion and hurricanes.
"For several decades — some say more than 50 years — Independence Island has rested beneath the surface, housing channels and crevasses that act like a natural reef by encouraging fish to swarm within it. The shells and oyster reefs — now mainly long dead due to storms, salinity levels and subsidence — once supported the island and continue to be a draw for trout between April and September."
