County commissioners received a $110,000 check from the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida on Aug. 19 to help construct an artificial reef as part of the county’s ongoing reef program.
The project will repurpose materials from the Florida Department of Transportation’s State Road A1A bridge replacement and place them in a permitted site in the lagoon. Artificial reef projects involve deploying submerged structures that mimic natural reefs, creating wildlife habitats and promoting biodiversity.
Kylie Yanchula, the county’s natural resources director, gave a brief overview of the project during the commission meeting.
“This project involves repurposing approx. 3,500 tons of debris from the old State Road A1A bridge and placing it at one of [our] permitted artificial reef locations,” Yanchula said. “Representative Robert Brackett played a crucial role in connecting us with the right people in order to move this project forward. Your unanimous vote to utilize the coastal program artificial reef funding for this project in collaboration with the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida underscores the value that you see in recycling rich material for creating habitat rather than have it ending up in a landfill.”
Yanchula clarified how the funds will be used.
“The cost differential between the contractor bringing it to a waste site versus the artificial reef permitted locations was around $219,000,” she said. “So basically, Coastal Conservation Association and the county are both putting funds towards that cost differential.”
Current permits allow for two additional artificial reefs offshore of the county, with enough space for the FDOT-provided materials. FDOT will serve as the project’s contractor.
Frank Gidus, director of habitat and environmental restoration with CCA, credited the collaboration that made the effort possible.
“We worked with the FDOT, we worked with Indian River County, and we have gotten to the point where it is going to become a reality, it is going to become a reef,” Gidus said. “We’re just really proud to be part of this.”
He emphasized the long-term benefits artificial reefs bring to the area.
“Everybody knows about the benefits of artificial reefs — it does wonders for our environment in the ecosystem benefits it provides,” Gidus said. “A lot of people tend to forget that artificial reefs have a huge return on investment for the local area. These reefs will be out here for decades and decades. People are fishing and diving in them basically every day. These people are spending money at local gas stations, bait and tackle stores, hotels, restaurants, you name it, on a daily basis.”
Commissioner Joseph Flescher praised the effort.
“This is a great example of a project that is going to serve all of us,” he said.
Yanchula said she hopes partnerships with CCA and FDOT will continue.
“We definitely would love to continue partnering with FDOT and CCA,” she said. “We think that there is a lot of overlap in terms of mission and opportunity for us to leverage our resources and to ultimately do good for our community.”
Construction on the reef is slated to begin in spring 2026 and finish in fall 2031, Yanchula said. According to the county’s website, Indian River County currently has eight offshore artificial reefs, all located 11 to 12 miles east of Sebastian Inlet in 65 to 70 feet of water.