A NEW artificial reef has been installed off the Coffs coast to boost tourism and sustainable recreational fishing along coastal NSW.
The reef was specially designed to create quality, pinnacle reef to support key species including mackerel, snapper, mulloway and various baitfish.
The Coffs reef consists of two steel structures developed by naval architects, coastal engineers and biologists to create a high quality marine habitat while resisting sliding and overturning forces during a one in 100 year storm event.
Each structure has a footprint of 15.6 x 15.6 m, a height of 12 metres and weighs 50 tonne. They have been placed about 500 metres apart in 28 metres of water.
The two new reefs join 12 others already installed along the NSW coast including a similar reef deployed at Ballina in March this year.
The new reefs were built, transported and installed by NSW-based marine infrastructure company, SMC Marine. The reef modules were constructed in Queensland and towed more than 450km over four days and sunk 2km south-west of Sawtell and 10km south of Coffs Harbour.
The reefs were delivered with funding from the Recreational Fishing Trust and the Marine Estate Management Strategy and designed to create a thriving habitat.
More info about NSW Offshore Artificial Reefs here.
