At first glance, the coast of New Jersey looks like every other on the Eastern Seaboard, give or take some sand dunes, cliffs and lighthouses. But just off the coast and below the ocean’s surface, it’s a different story. From Sandy Hook to Cape May, there are thousands of military vehicles, subway cars, shipwrecks, huge concrete rubble piles and other items strewn on the sea floor. They are all part of New Jersey’s Artificial Reef program, which began in 1984 and is widely considered a success by all involved.
Think about it: The state wins by creating habitats for fish, crustaceans and invertebrates while reducing the impact the items used for reef construction have on the environment. Charter captains and others in the fishing industry benefit with plenty of fishy structure nearby where they know fish congregate most months. And perhaps the biggest winners are anglers, who have 17 artificial reefs—ranging in size from 1 to 3 square miles — without having to travel for hours into the Atlantic to hook up.
But wait, there’s more: According to several charter captains and guides, the reefs are now attracting some exotic fish species seldom found in New Jersey waters, making them even more attractive to anglers.
Artificial Reefs Are Great Fish Attractors
“All of our artificial reefs are near inlets, providing easy access to areas where anglers know fish will be,” said Peter Clarke, the head of New Jersey’s Artificial Reef Program and a fisheries biologist. “Ask any captain and they’ll tell you how important the state’s artificial reefs are to what they do.”
There’s little debate among those working the state’s coastline. Most say that fish — especially black seabass, tautogs and summer flounder (fluke) — are consistently drawn to these underwater communities, thanks to the dynamic food supply, featuring everything from baitfish, clams, mussels and crustaceans like lobsters and crabs to invertebrates, corals and anemones.
“I’ve been fishing off the reefs since the program started, and it’s one of the few things that I can point to where there’s little to no downside — they are an amazing resource.” said Greg Hueth, co-owner of Big Mohawk Charters in Belmar, New Jersey. “In June, July and August you’re all but guaranteed to catch a fish off an artificial reef.”
What can you catch on New Jersey’s artificial reefs?
Hueth took it one step further and said he’s convinced that that best flounder fishing in New Jersey can be found off artificial reefs in the north central part of the state. He added that fishing kicks into gear in May, when seabass and tautogs arrive, and heats up over the summer when flounder and a wide variety of other species, including porgies, sheepshead, cobia, Spanish mackerel, even occasional thresher sharks, dolphins and cod visit. Others report catching butterfish, triggerfish and other exotic species not usually found in New Jersey waters.
One of the more unique fish Huett has seen caught on an artificial reef was a blueline tilefish. These bottom dwellers typically live in waters 240 to 780 feet deep, not off artificial reefs in New Jersey that are typically 50 to 80 feet deep. When told about the catch, even Clarke was incredulous.
And as unique as the blueline tilefish was, it doesn’t compare to what Chris Wojcik has planned for the future. After seeing one of his sculptures destined for the deep (a 47-foot horseshoe crab) fall off a barge and shatter on the ocean floor in 2012, he’d now like to create a massive lobster sculpture for one of the reefs. “As soon as I get the call with some funding, I’ll drop everything and build that,” said Wojcik, the president and creative director of Animal Exhibits and Design in Bay Head, N.J. “I really believe in what the state is doing with the reefs.”
A Leading Artificial Reef Program
New Jersey’s artificial reef program is now one of the largest in the country. The reefs generate $2.5 billion annually in economic benefit to New Jersey’s fishing industry, according to the state. The program gained a lot of attention through the years thanks to the sinking of subway cars, starting in 1990. Subway cars being dropped off barges make for compelling videos, but Clarke says they aren’t the top materials for reefs.
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“Over the course of the program, we’ve deployed thousands of subways cars, “ he said. “They provide great vertical structure, but we find that heavier gauge steel found on tanks, ships, barges and tugboats have more structural integrity… they just hold up better over time.”
Popular New Jersey Artificial Reefs
Some of the more popular reefs in the state include the Sea Girt Reef, which is just 3.5 miles offshore in 60 to 70 feet of water. It includes not only subway cars, but a variety of sunken military vehicles, including M48 Patton Medium tanks, M-114 Armored Personnel Carriers and 23 shipwrecks.
Nearby (but 14 miles offshore) is the Shark River Reef, which has several large wrecks strewn across 0.72 square miles, including the USS Algol. Closer to shore, the Axel Carlson Reef, is only 2.1 miles offshore from Point Pleasant Beach in 66 to 80 feet of water and features sunken trawlers, tugboats, barges and military vehicles. Further south, the top artificial reef is the Cape May Reef, with 18 shipwrecks, including the 157-foot USCG Buoy Tender Red Oak and a former Central Railroad of New Jersey ferry Elizabeth, which weighed in at 1,016 tons when operational.
What’s next for New Jersey’s artificial reef program? Clarke said there are plans to enhance five of the state’s reefs with supplemental materials, but he’s always on the lookout for more refuse for the reefs. “We have to be opportunistic and take advantage of what’s available,” Clarke said. “We’ve accomplished a lot with our artificial reef program and want to keep things going.”
