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Artificial Reef Program
Artificial reef locations
Artificial reef map

The artificial reef program began in late 1970 when local recreational and commercial fishermen approached Volusia County with a request for the county to obtain permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct artificial reefs.

Since that time, the Ponce de Leon Inlet and Port District has increased its effort and involvement. To date, more than 40 artificial reefs have been constructed with the remains of ships, barges, concrete culverts, airplanes, Intra-coastal Waterway bridges, FDOT concrete roadway construction barriers, concrete telephone poles and other large pieces of concrete rubble.

The Ponce de Leon Inlet & Port District values the economic, recreational, ecological and quality-of-life benefits of artificial reefs and has established a capital improvement plan to continue building marine habitat in the Atlantic Ocean off Volusia County.

How to find deposits

The locations for artificial reefs constructed by the Inlet & Port District are listed below.

For greatest accuracy, use a GPS unit to navigate to the coordinates listed for the site. When you are near the coordinates you selected, use a bottom recorder to find the deposit. Once you see the deposit on the recorder, drop a temporary buoy and note the Lat/Long or LORAN T.D.’s in your personal log to use for your next visit. Bear in mind that some searching may be necessary to locate the reef.

Reef site #1
1993 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates Lat/Long: 29°07.18'N, 80°41.80'W

Steel barge - Argoil
Coordinates: 29°07.07´N, 80°41.58´W

Reef balls
Coordinates: 29°07.03´N, 80°41.85´W

Reef site #2
1992 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°09.37´N, 80°40.37´W

Steel ship - Semarca
Coordinates: 29°09.15´N, 80°40.64´W

1997 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°09.30´N, 80°40.62´W

Reef site #3
Liberty ship - Mindanao
Coordinates: 29°12.00´N, 80°44.87´W

1992 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°11.63´N, 80°44.78´W

Steel ship - Rio Yuna
Coordinates: 29°11.74´N, 80°44.81´W

Steel tug - McAllister
Coordinates: 29°11.63´N, 80°44.81´W

Steel tug - Thomas H
Coordinates: 29°11.73´N, 80°44.93´W

Steel barge - Atlas
Coordinates: 29°11.37´N, 80°45.03´W

Reef site #4
1989 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°19.27´N, 80°44.67´W

1992 - Concrete culverts/barge
Coordinates: 29°19.16´N, 80°44.53´W

Steel ship, Maxine D
Coordinates: 29°19.42´N, 80°44.85´W

Reef site #5
Concrete bridge rubble
Coordinates: 29°07.17´N, 80°48.34´W

Concrete bridge rubble
Coordinates: 29°07.14´N, 80°48.32´W

Concrete fender pilings
Coordinates: 29°07.278´N, 80°48.362´W

Concrete fender pilings
Coordinates: 29°07.251´N, 80°48.253´W

Concrete fender pilings
Coordinates: 29°07.171´N, 80°48.210´W

Reef site #6
1995 Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°03.04´N, 80°43.36´W

1994 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°03.21´N, 80°43.19´W

Reef site #7
1991 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°01.18´N, 80°41.44´W

Steel barge
Coordinates: 29°01.23´N, 80°41.02´W

Reef site #8
1989 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 28°55.31´N, 80°42.63´W

1996 - Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 28°55.27´N, 80°42.68´W

Reef site #9
Steel tug - Canaveral
Coordinates: 29°21.23'N, 80°21.44'W

USN A-6 Intruder planes 
SE of tug

Reef site #10
Concrete Jersey barriers
Coordinates: 29°21.46´N, 80°49.76´W

Concrete Culverts and Structures
Coordinates: 29° 21.565´N, 80° 49.646´W

Concrete Culverts
Coordinates: 29° 21.353´N, 80° 49.672´W

Reef site #11
Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°16.420' N, 80°41.916''W

Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 500' NE of center

Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 500' SE of center

Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 500' NW of center

Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 500' SW of center

Reef site #12
Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°11.88' N, 80°46.52''W

Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°11.84' N, 80°46.54''W

Bridge rubble
Coordinates: 29°11.93' N, 80°46.40''W

Reef site #13
1989 Concrete culverts
Coordinates: 29°10.14' N, 80°41.64''W

Concrete utility poles
Coordinates: 29°10.132' N, 80°41.452''W

Concrete utility poles
Coordinates: 29°10.253' N, 80°41.526''W

Concrete utility poles
Coordinates: 29°10.098' N, 80°41.451''W

Please note
LORAN-C T.D.'s for the deposit locations listed above are available on the Volusia Reef Research Team website: www.volusiareefs.org

Special thanks
The Ponce de Leon Inlet & Port District would like to thank the following for their contribution to the artificial reef program.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

CSR Hydro-Conduit Corporation
Florida Bureau of Marine Fisheries Management
Florida Department of Transportation
Halifax Sport Fishing Club
U.S. Coast Guard, New Smyrna Beach
Volusia County Reef Research Dive Team, John Lane, President