Shark River Reef facts for kids

The Shark River Reef is a special underwater place called an artificial reef. It's located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 15.6 miles (25 kilometers) southeast of Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey. This amazing reef is off the coast of Ocean County.

Think of an artificial reef as an underwater apartment building for sea creatures! It's built by people to create new homes and hiding spots for fish, crabs, and many other ocean animals. The Shark River Reef is made mostly of rock, almost 4 million cubic yards of it! That's a huge amount of rock. What's really cool is that it also has old subway cars that were placed there to become part of the reef.

This reef is the deepest of all the artificial reefs in New Jersey. It goes down about 125 feet (38 meters) to the ocean floor. Near the Shark River Reef, you can find the wreck of a ship called the Stolt Dagali.

What is an Artificial Reef?

Building Homes for Sea Life

An artificial reef is a human-made structure that is placed on the ocean floor. It's designed to act like a natural reef, providing a place for marine life to live, eat, and reproduce. These reefs help to increase the number of fish and other creatures in an area. They also give divers and anglers (people who fish) new places to explore.

Why Do We Build Them?

Artificial reefs are built for several important reasons:

• Boosting Fish Populations: They create new habitats, which helps more fish and other marine animals survive and grow.
• Helping Anglers: They attract many different types of fish, making it a great spot for fishing.
• Creating Dive Sites: They offer exciting places for scuba divers to explore underwater worlds and see amazing sea creatures up close.
• Protecting the Ocean: They can sometimes help protect natural habitats by drawing activities like fishing away from sensitive areas.

What Can You Find at Shark River Reef?

Underwater Structures

The Shark River Reef is mostly made of rock, but it also has some interesting additions. Imagine old subway cars sitting on the ocean floor, covered in barnacles and algae! These cars, along with other materials, provide lots of nooks and crannies for fish to hide from predators or lay their eggs.

Marine Life at the Reef

Because of all these structures, the Shark River Reef is home to many different kinds of ocean animals. You might find:

• Fish: Many types of fish, like black sea bass, tautog, and summer flounder, love to live around the reef.
• Crabs and Lobsters: These crustaceans find plenty of places to hide and hunt for food.
• Other Creatures: You might also see sponges, corals, and other small invertebrates growing on the reef's surfaces.

The reef acts like a giant magnet for marine life, creating a busy underwater community.

How Was Shark River Reef Created?

New Jersey's Reef Program

The Shark River Reef was created as part of the New Jersey's Artificial Reef Program. This program is run by the State of New Jersey's Division of Fish and Wildlife. Their goal is to build and manage artificial reefs along the coast to improve marine habitats and support fishing and diving activities.

Adding Materials to the Reef

Over time, different materials are carefully placed at the reef site. For the Shark River Reef, almost 4 million cubic yards of dredge rock material were used. This rock came from dredging projects, where material is removed from the bottom of waterways to make them deeper. Instead of just throwing the rock away, it was used to build this valuable underwater habitat. The subway cars were also cleaned and prepared before being sunk to become part of the reef.

Where is Shark River Reef Located?

The Shark River Reef is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey. Here are the coordinates that mark its boundaries: