Escambia County, FL
09/15/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/15/2026 09:52
Escambia and Santa Rosa County Partner to Deploy Esca-Rosa Regional Reefs
Escambia County and Santa Rosa County are excited to announce the deployment of the Esca-Rosa Regional Reefs, a series of new artificial reef sites made possible by more than $1.1 million in combined grant funding and a multi-year partnership between the two counties.
Artificial reef modules are being deployed to construct 69 patch reefs using 209 Florida limestone modules and 132 Grouper reefs. These new reefs are located within the eastern portion of the Escambia East Nearshore Artificial Reef site.
The Escambia County Marine Resources Division, in coordination with Santa Rosa County Natural Resources, is directing the placement of the reefs by Walter Marine, Inc. of Orange Beach, Alabama, using Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Natural Resource Damage Assessment funding. Some of the concrete prefabricated artificial reef modules incorporate "microhabitat features" created by George Stone Technical College's Welding Program using repurposed metal signposts, giving them a second life as an underwater micro-habitat for marine life.
The next phase of the project will include seeking permits for new artificial reef sites 1 mile offshore at Park East and Portofino public access sites in Escambia County, in addition to planning for similar sites offshore near Navarre Beach that will ultimately stretch westward to meet Escambia County's sites.
This regional reef project aligns with the Coastal Corridor Program implemented by the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with a $15 million allocation from the Florida Legislature to create and restore marine habitat along Florida's entire coastline.
The partnership between Escambia County and Santa Rosa County helps advance coastal environmental stewardship goals and strengthens regional partnerships, while also providing additional habitats for marine life and new reef sites for recreational divers, boaters and anglers to explore.
Artificial reef programs in Northwest Florida have demonstrated exceptional returns, with a regional study finding that reef-related activities generated $414 million in total economic output, supporting 8,136 jobs and $84 million in wages across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay Counties. The annual recreational use value was estimated at $19.7 million, producing a discounted asset value of $656 million, which represents a benefit-to-cost ratio of 131:1.
For a full list and map of Escambia County's artificial reefs, visit myescambia.com/artificialreefs.
Escambia County, FL published this content on September 15, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 15, 2026 at 15:52 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]