Two artificial reefs were constructed in the St. Johns River in December 2014 by the city of Jacksonville in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Coastal Conservation Association.
These river reefs were located south of the Fuller Warren Bridge in the St. Johns River, just off San Marco. They are named the CCA Reef and George Holt Reef. They marked a new chapter in reef deployment in Northeast Florida. Historically artificial reefs had focused on improving offshore fish habitat. This was the first time reefs had been deployed in the St. Johns River.
The term artificial is a misnomer. The name artificial comes from the fact that people establish these reefs by placing non-natural materials like concrete or old ships on the sea or river bottom. These surfaces allow for plant and animal life to grow and become reefs that attract fish and other marine life. A similar process occurs in freshwater lakes where people place bush and tree limbs near th