Miami Wreck Trek Connectivity Project

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Introduction:
The project to connect individual wrecks using limestone boulder material was initiated by DERM (Miami Dade Department for Environmental Resource Management) during 2009.  After discussions with Miami Dade Reef Guard Association the five wrecks collectively known as the Miami Wreck Trek were chosen as the location. 

During 2010 DERM submitted a grant request to the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife.  The grant is to place approximately 750 tons of lime rock boulders at two artificial reef sites in Miami-Dade County.  325 tons of boulders are proposed in Biscayne Bay at the Artificial Reef Site in Coconut Grove (15' depth) and 325 tons of boulders planned as a "connectivity" project offshore at the Belcher Barge Wreck Trek Site (70' depth) off Key Biscayne.  The goal of the project is to enhance both inshore, juvenile habitat and offshore habitat for adult species by using the boulders to "connect" the wrecks.

The grant has been approved and the first two connections will be made during 2011.

The Wrecks:

Name	Description	Sunk	Depth (ft)
Belcher Barge	195' steel barge	Nov-85	58
Belzona I	85' steel tug	May-90	68
Belzona II	90' steel tug	Feb-91	60
Belzona III	100' steel tug	Jun-91	65
H.A.V. Parker III Barge	120' steel barge	Aug-98	70
Schurger's Barge	90' steel barge	Oct-96	74

The Videos:

Notes:
1.The H.A.V Parker III Barge and Schurger's Barge are next to one another and are considered as a single wreck site for connectivity and fish surveys.

The Survey Data:
During 2010 Miami Dade Reef Guard Association in cooperation with DERM and The Reef Environmental Education Foundation - REEF have conducted two surveys of fish on the Miami Wreck Trek locations.  These surveys establish a base line data set of species and density before the connections are made.  It is believed that connecting the separate wreck locations will significantly improve the number and density of fish species by creating a reef large enough to support viable and sustainable fish habitats.  We expect to conduct further surveys once the connection material is in place.

The full data set can be viewed on this page

The following table shows a brief summary of some of the data.

Category	PSB Aug-Dec	BB Aug-Dec	BZ1 Aug-Dec	BZ2 Aug-Dec	BZ3 Aug-Dec
Species Count	45 - 53	48 - 41	35 - 30	40 - 34	41 - 32
% Many & Abundant	36%-33%	42%-37%	23%-32%	32%-29%	29%-16%

Notes:
PSB - Parker/Schurger Barges
BB- Belcher Barge
BZ1 - Belzona 1
BZ2 - Belzona 2
BZ3 - Belzona 3
Summary data from 'Expert' rated surveyors only.

The three small tugs consistently show significantly fewer species and lower abundance levels than the two large barge sites.

With the exception of the Parker/Schurger site the other four sites show fewer species in December than in August.