Habitat
Restoration

Latest Habitat Numbers 

• Number of Habitat Projects Completed: 205.
• Number of Vessels Deployed on Artificial Reefs: 9.
• Concrete/Rock Deployed on Artificial Reefs: 8,115 tons.
• Number of Artificial Reefs Deployed: 51.
• Recycled Oyster Shells Deployed: 156 tons.
• Shoreline Restoration: 4.5 miles+.
• Number of Oyster Reefs Restored: 38.
• Number of Clams Deployed: 58,000,000.
• Number of Spartina Grass and Mangroves Planted: 125,000.
• Amount of Trash Removed: 96 tons.
• Number of Trout Restocked: 292,000.
• Number of Snook Restocked: 5,150.
• Number of Redfish Restocked: 560,115.

January 7, 2025 – CCA Florida Recycled Oyster Shell Donation – CCA Florida’s Oyster Recycling Program donated and delivered 2.5 tons of recycled oyster shell to the District School Board’s Pasco County Energy & Marine Center in Port Richey. The oyster shells will be used by Pasco County school kids along with oyster reef domes for a future five-year project on Durney Key that includes baseline data collection and oyster restoration.

January 21, 2025 – CCA Florida/UCF Oyster Ring Event – CCA Florida staff and volunteers assisted the University of Central Florida’s (UCF’s) Coastal & Estuarine Ecology Lab (CEELAB) students in making the oyster rings for future deployment in the Indian River Lagoon. These oyster restoration rings have been proven by UCF’s CEELAB to be highly effective in recruiting new oyster growth, more good news for the IRL! Stay tuned for more upcoming restoration events.

January 24, 2025 – CCA Florida/IRLT Cleanup – Volunteers from CCA Florida, the Indian River Land Trust (IRLT) and the adjacent Vero Shores community cleaned up the Coastal Oaks Preserve along the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) in Vero Beach. The IRLT owns, manages and protects over 1,300 acres of land in Indian River County including 12 miles of IRL shoreline. These critical properties are protected with conservation easements in perpetuity and managed by removing invasive plants and restoring native species and habitats.

January 25, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – The CCA Florida Broward Chapter hosted a vertical oyster garden (VOG) workshop at George English Park. Nearly 20 volunteers assembled roughly 75 VOGs, which will be deployed from residential docks and city-owned seawalls.

February 1, 2025 – CCA Florida Clam Deployment – CCA Florida participated in a significant environmental effort by helping to deploy clams as part of a broader initiative to restore and protect our waterways. This effort was made possible through the generous support and collaboration of IRL Clam Restoration Project, UF Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Star brite Solutions, Project SeaSafe and the Brevard County Save Our Lagoon program. With the assistance of innovative drone technology and the dedication of a strong volunteer turnout, we successfully deployed 100,000 clams to help enhance water quality and marine habitats.

January 31-February 1, 2025 – CCA Florida Guy Harvey Summit – CCA Florida joined the Guy Harvey Foundation for their Conservation Education Summit at Sea World Orlando. Approximately, 250 teachers across Florida attended the event to get their students salty in the classroom! Conservation awareness, educational training, and knowledge of how to incorporate these into the classroom were shared throughout the weekend. CCA FL presented ways to get students involved with habitat restoration in their local area, such as, how to help collect and properly grow red mangrove propagules and how to make a vertical oyster garden. Providing each teacher with a propagule to grow, and a classroom sized vertical oyster garden kit of their own to create. Using these two concepts and creating an experiment for the students will allow them to see how impactful oysters and mangroves are to Florida’s marine ecosystems.

February 4, 2025 – CCA Florida Recycled Oyster Shell Donation – CCA Florida completed its third donation of recycled oyster shell, totaling 7 tons to support oyster restoration projects in Manatee County. The recycled oyster shell will be used for various restoration projects throughout the county including in the Manatee River and Robinson Preserve. A portion of the recycled oyster shell will be used in a partnership project between CCA Florida, Manatee County, the FWC and Manatee Fish and Game Association through a grant award from the Florida State Wildlife Grants Program.

February 15, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – CCA Florida hosted a vertical oyster garden (VOG) workshop with the Village of North Palm Beach. Approximately 30 volunteers attended the event and assembled 110 VOGs that will be deployed throughout Anchorage Park this spring.

February 16, 2025 – CCA Florida/UCF Oyster Ring Event – CCA Florida volunteers and UCF students held an oyster reef habitat restoration ring-making event and created 150 oyster rings. These incredibly efficient rings developed by Dr. Linda Walters have been instrumental in the return of seagrass to the Mosquito Lagoon.

February 18, 2025 – CCA Florida Discovery Channel Interview – CCA Florida met with the team from Destination Dive to provide information on the recently completed John Pennekamp Seagrass Restoration Project. This project, consisted of restoring approximately 10,000 ft^2 of seagrass beds through the use of biodegradable sediment tubes that were designed and fabricated by Sea and Shoreline to naturally enhance seagrass recolonization. This project will be featured on an episode of Destination Dive and will air on the Discovery Channel later this year.

February 18, 2025 – CCA Florida LKGA Presentation – CCA Florida was invited to the Lower Keys Guides Association (LKGA) annual membership meeting as one of the supporting partners to present ongoing habitat restoration work throughout the Florida Keys. CCA Florida recently partnered with the LKGA to start a mangrove restoration program in the lower Keys. CCA Florida staff interacted with attendees and local fishing guides, while presenting some of the recently completed and upcoming habitat restoration projects happening within the area.

February 21, 2025 – CCA Florida IRL Symposium Presentation – CCA Florida presented at the 2025 Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Symposium at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. The theme for the 2-day symposium was “the IRL in a Changing Climate.” CCA Florida’s presentation was focused on habitat restoration in the IRL and around the state, and how collaborations are key to a project’s success.

February 21, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – CCA Florida and the Mid Coast Chapter hosted a vertical oyster garden (VOG) workshop for the Grand Haven community in Palm Coast, FL. Despite the cold weather, the event had a great turnout of over 50 volunteers that teamed up to assemble over 250 VOGs. These VOGs will be deployed from residential docks within the Grand Haven community to help monitor spat recruitment and improve the local waterways!

February 22, 2025 – CCA Florida Orlando Wetlands Festival – CCA Florida was an exhibitor at the 2025 Orlando Wetlands Festival in Christmas, Florida. This year’s theme was “Water is Life,” a topic CCA knows well! This free, family-friendly festival has been taking place biennially since 2001, educating the public on the importance of Florida’s ecology and water resources.

March 1, 2025 – CCA Florida Hook Kids on Fishing Sponsorship – CCA Florida was proud to support the first annual Hook Girls on Fishing event at the Marine Discovery Center. 32 girls, and their parents, participated in the event and caught pinfish and spot fish. Additionally, the kids were able to engage in sustainable fishing practices and conservation.

March 14, 2025 – CCA Florida Clam and Redfish Deployment – CCA Florida, Duke Energy and Maverick Boat Group released 1.2 million clams and 10,000 redfish in the Indian River Lagoon near Melbourne Beach. To date, more than 49 million clams have been deployed as part of the Billion Clam Initiative and 490,000 redfish have been released across the state!

March 19, 2025 – CCA Florida/FDEP Mangrove Planting Event – CCA Florida, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and 25 volunteers, planted 250 red mangroves on an island near Pirate Harbor in Charlotte County. The mangrove propagules were first collected by volunteers and grown at the CCA Florida and Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Crystal River. Special thanks to Charlotte County CCA Chapter President Mike Brimer, Ingman Marine for supplying the barge for the mangroves and to the volunteers from the Pirate Harbor neighborhood and Florida Gulf Coast University.

March 27-28, 2025 – CCA Florida Fred Crabill Living Shoreline Project – CCA Florida, Duke Energy and Tampa Bay Watch continued working on the Fred Crabill Fantasy Island Living Shoreline Project in Tampa Bay. Together, with help from dozens of volunteers, 153 reef balls were deployed on the island.

March 29, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – CCA Florida hosted a Vertical Oyster Garden (VOG) workshop in Vero Beach. Over 25 volunteers attended the event and teamed up to assemble approximately 150 VOGs that will be deployed throughout the coastal waterways of Vero Beach. A special thanks to the Indian River Land Trust for providing a great location for the event and to the volunteers from Lines in the Lagoon and Vero Shores.

April 2, 2025 – CCA Florida Reef Ball Donation – The CCA Florida habitat team made the trip from the CCA Florida Duke Energy Mariculture Center to the panhandle to donate and deliver 60 reef balls to Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA). The CBA intends to use them for an upcoming subtidal oyster reef and living shoreline project. Special thanks to Alta Equipment for its continued partnership and donating the transport trailer to haul these reef balls.

April 5, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – The CCA Florida Mid Coast Chapter hosted another vertical oyster garden (VOG) workshop at the River Lily Inn in Daytona Beach. This workshop was part of an ongoing project the Mid Coast Chapter is working on through the CCA Florida Million Dollar Habitat Pledge. More than 25 volunteers attended the event and helped assemble approximately 200 VOGs that will be deployed from residential docks throughout the Halifax River.

April 10, 2025 – CCA Florida Latimer Reef Deployment – CCA Florida deployed the CCA Florida Latimer Reef in the Gulf of America, six miles west of Mexico Beach. Five limestone reef modules, sized 8 by 10 feet and weighing 5,000 pounds, along with a 4,000-pound ecosystem module were deployed in approximately 70 feet of water. Named in honor of Eric Latimer, the CCA Florida and Duke Energy Mariculture Center Manager, the reef commemorates his incredible dedication to Florida’s marine resources. For more than 30 years, Eric has been at the helm of Mariculture Center and has restocked more than five million fin fish and crustaceans during his tenure. His passion for conservation and tireless efforts have helped restore and protect Florida’s coastal ecosystems for future generations.

April 12, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – CCA Florida teamed up with the Village of North Palm and Fish Florida to host a vertical oyster garden workshop and deployment day alongside an interactive kid’s fishing clinic. The event had a great turnout and over 75 kids and volunteers joined for a day full of fun and conservation. Volunteers had a hands-on opportunity to help assemble VOGs that were deployed throughout Anchorage Park in North Palm Beach.

April 13, 2025 – CCA Florida/UCF Oyster Ring Event – Nearly 30 volunteers from CCA Florida and the University of Central Florida (UCF) made 194 oyster rings in under three hours! Volunteers included CCA Florida members, research partners from CCA Texas and CEELAB alumni! Together, enough restoration material was made to restore an entire non-plastic, biodegradable reef.

April 16, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – The CCA Florida Habitat team gave a presentation on habitat restoration and vertical oyster gardens (VOG) to Bay Haven Charter School in Panama City. Several different Marine Science classes joined to learn about CCA Florida’s ongoing habitat restoration efforts around the state and get involved with CCA’s ongoing VOG program. The students learned about the ecological benefits provided by oysters and their importance to marine ecosystems. Approximately 20 VOGs were deployed from the dock located at the schools outside learning area. Over the next couple of years, marine science students will have the opportunity to get hands on and help monitor these VOGs on weekly basis to help determine oyster spat recruitment and observe what marine species inhabit the VOGs.

April 22, 2025 – CCA Florida Recycled Oyster Shell Donation – The CCA Florida habitat team delivered 6 tons of recycled oyster shell to Manatee County. Upon arrival, officials from Manatee County presented the team with a glass-framed certificate to commemorate our efforts. This is our fourth donation of recycled oyster shell, totaling 13 tons, to support oyster restoration projects throughout Manatee County.

April 26, 2025 – Clean Water Collective – The CCA Florida habitat team joined Star brite at their 4^th Annual Clean Water Collective at the Old Fish House in Valkaria, FL. Throughout the weekend, CCA FL and Duke Energy deployed 4 million clams via drone into the Indian River Lagoon as part of The Billion Clam Initiative. CCA also hosted a VOG workshop on Saturday which allowed volunteers to get hands on and assemble their very own vertical oyster garden to take home and deploy. In addition, approximately 25 of the VOGs assembled were deployed from the dock at the Old Fish House Bar and Grill.

April 29, 2025 – St. Johns River Seagrass Bed Research Initiative – The CCA Florida habitat team teamed up with St. Johns RIVERKEEPER to install 10 protective SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation) enclosures. These enclosures were installed at research sites along an 80-mile stretch of the St. Johns River between Doctors Lake and Lake George. This was the first phase of the Northeast Chapter’s Million Dollar Habitat Pledge Grant.

May 4, 2025 – I.CARE Trash Derby – CCA Florida was proud to support I.CARE’s 3rd Annual Trash Derby as a Gold Sponsor. This awesome event consisted of a two-day marine debris cleanup stretching from Key West to Key Largo. During the event, hundreds of volunteers joined forces to remove over 36,000 pounds of marine debris from the coral reefs and surrounding habitats throughout the Florida Keys. The event wrapped up on Sunday with the annual Trash Derby Festival hosted at Founders Park in Islamorada. The festival featured local organizations, vendors, live music and prizes. CCA Florida hosted a habitat restoration booth to help educate the public on ways to get involved and help conserve Florida’s marine resources.

May 15, 2025 – CCA Florida Artificial Reef Curriculum for Marine Science – CCA Florida presented a $50,000 check to the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners on behalf of the CCA Pensacola Chapter’s recent habitat pledge award. The Pensacola Chapter applied for the funding through CCA Florida’s grassroots initiative – The $1,000,000 Habitat Pledge. The $50,000 donation will be used to fund an “Artificial Reefs ” educational pilot program that the county conducted this year at Booker T. Washington High School and West Florida High School. The students learned concepts of Oceanography, Marine Biology, Physics, Socio-Economics as they relate to Escambia County’s Artificial Reefs Program. The students at each school also designed an artificial reef that was deployed with the CCA funding on Thursday, May 22 off the coast of Escambia County. The county plans to continue this program and expand to other Escambia County schools next year and beyond.

May 17, 2025 – Hooked on Kids Fishing – CCA was proud to be a sponsor of the Hooked of Kids Fishing event at the Hobe Sound Nature Center. Throughout the event, the kids learned how rig their tackle, tie knots, learned fish handling and conservation tips, catch and release practice, and even had the opportunity to wade out into the Indian River Lagoon to do some fishing.

May 28, 2025 – Terrapin Key Mangrove Restoration – CCA Florida in collaboration with the FDEP and 26 volunteers planted 200 red mangroves and 160 black mangroves on Terrapin Key in Charlotte Harbor. The project was funded by TRS-SESCO through a $10,000 habitat donation. TRS-SESCO also provided 10 volunteers to help with the project. The mangrove propagules were first collected by CCA volunteers and grown at the CCA Florida and Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Crystal River. Special thanks to the CCA Charlotte County Chapter, Ingman Marine, and the many volunteers from the Pirate Harbor neighborhood!

May 29, 2025 – Turtle Bay Oyster Restoration – CCA Florida deployed 40 tons of recycled oyster shell in Turtle Bay to complete the fifth deployment in the area. In total, 130 tons of recycled oyster shell has been deployed in Turtle Bay in effort to boost water quality, marine fisheries, and recreational angling. A huge shout out to Ingman Marine, Clermont Oyster Bar, Abbotts Construction, Lee Reefs, Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA), Capt. Jay Withers and Lake County for being an essential part of this project.

May 31, 2025 – George English Park Mangrove Restoration – The CCA Florida Broward Chapter and the Urban Farming Institute partnered with the City of Fort Lauderdale on a mangrove restoration project at George English Park. Roughly 25 volunteers came out and successfully planted 50 red mangroves to help with water quality, shoreline stabilization, and provide habitat for marine life. CCA Florida directly advocated for a Chief Waterways Officer position in Fort Lauderdale to lead water quality initiatives, and Marco Aguilera was hired into this position just weeks before and already has this key project under his belt.

June 1, 2025 – UCF Oyster Reef Restoration – Throughout the month of June, volunteers from CCA Florida, FWC, Marine Discovery Center, IRLNEP, and UCF have been working to restore six oyster reefs in Mosquito Lagoon under the leadership of Dr. Linda Walters. Several different restoration methods are being used and studied to determine which method is most successful. These restoration efforts are critical for improving water quality, providing essential habitat, and bringing life back to the Lagoon.

June 21, 2025 – CCA Florida VOG Event – CCA Florida teamed up with St. Johns RIVERKEEPER and Jacksonville University MSRI to host another vertical oyster garden workshop. This event was held on campus at Jacksonville University and approximately 40 volunteers attended the event to help assemble over 100 VOGs. These VOGs will be distributed throughout Jacksonville this summer, and deployed from private and public docks to help monitor oyster spat recruitment and improve water quality. In addition, a “recruitment plate” was installed on each VOG to assist with the monitoring research being conducted by the students at Jacksonville University.

June 28, 2025 – CCA Florida Mid Coast VOG Event – CCA Florida hosted another vertical oyster garden (VOG) workshop as part of the Mid Coast Chapters ongoing “Oyster for my Neighborhood” Habitat Pledge project. The workshop was held at the River Lily Inn in Daytona Beach, and over 100 volunteers attended the event including two local cub scout troops. These hard-working volunteers were able to assemble approximately 500 VOGs that will be deployed from residential docks throughout the Halifax River. Each VOG will provide an ideal location for future oyster spat recruitment which will help improve water quality and create habitat for other marine species.

July 11, 2025 – Spartina Grass Harvest – Approximately 4,000 smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) plants were harvested from the CCA Florida and Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Crystal River. This collaboration project included CCA Florida, Duke Energy, Okaloosa County Natural Resources, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, OysterCorps, and Franklin’s Promise Coalition. The OysterCorps and Franklin’s Promise Coalition sent a team of volunteers down to harvest the cordgrass and transport it back to Niceville, Florida. The next day, volunteers planted the cordgrass in Choctawhatchee Bay near Bluewater Bay Marina to help restore this important shoreline.

July 15, 2025 – The Alex and Anna Jernigan Fantasea Reef – CCA Florida and Okaloosa County deployed the 144-foot long by 37-foot-tall FANTASEA vessel to create the Alex and Anna Jernigan Reef. The reef honors the lifelong work Alex and Anna Jernigan put into fisheries and conservation through CCA Florida. Alex Jernigan is the founding father of CCA Florida, and he and his wife, Anna, hosted the first fundraising event in their home 40 years ago (Anna even cooked for everyone!). Alex served as Chairman of the Board for the first two years and sat on the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council. At 93 years old, Alex continues to sit in our Government Relations Committee.

The reef was deployed approximately 8 nautical miles south of Destin, 30° 14.388’ N, 86° 30.294’ W, in 88 feet of water. CCA Florida contributed $65,000 to Okaloosa County for the reef project.

July 28 & 29, 2025 – CCA Florida/Guy Harvey Foundation Event – CCA Florida partnered with the Guy Harvey Foundation (GHF) for a two-day professional educators development workshop in Ponte Vedra Beach. The GHF Training workshop focused on “Ecosystem Restoration with CCA” and was an opportunity for K-12 educators to experience hands-on curriculum content that included Spartina Grass Planting and Monitoring, Mangrove Restoration, Clam Restoration, and Vertical Oyster Gardens. The GHF Conservation Education Program honors Educators, Schools and Districts dedicated to environmental STEAM education.

July 31, 2025 – CCA Florida Oyster Shell Deployment in Cormorant Key – 10 tons of recycled oyster shell were deployed on Cormorant Key in Charlotte Harbor on July 31. The CCA Florida and Duke Energy Mariculture Center, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Seafood Seller & Café, Ajax Paving, Southern Site & Power Construction, Ingman Marine, Bob DiMuzio and the Pirate Harbor Community, and Crossfit Punta Gorda all played a key role in the success of this oyster restoration project. Thank you all for going above and beyond to restore, protect and preserve our coastal resources.

July 31, 2025 – CCA Florida Sponsors Clean Up Florida Waters – CCA Florida was a proud sponsor of the 2025 Florida Realtors Clean Up Florida Waters events, a statewide initiative mobilizing thousands of volunteers to protect and preserve our coastal and freshwater habitats. Throughout the month of July, volunteers united across the state to remove debris from beaches, rivers, lakes and estuaries to make a direct impact on Florida’s environment and wildlife. In 2025, the cleanup events – 134 in all – removed 27,049 pounds of trash, spanned 218 miles and included about 1,200 participants who logged a collective 450 volunteer hours.

August 7, 2025 – Marine Science Station Donation – On August 7, CCA Florida joined Duke Energy Florida to present a $100,000 donation to the Marine Science Station, ensuring the continuation of student-field experiences while the facility undergoes restoration from Hurricane Helene. The funds will be used across a consecutive, two-year period to help offset the costs incurred by the Citrus County School District, including student transportation aboard research vessels, boat maintenance, field-sampling equipment and safety gear used by students and staff.

August 13, 2025 – The Bill Mickler Memorial Reef – On August 13, CCA Florida in partnership with the Organization for Artificial Reefs (OAR) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) deployed 19 limestone modules to create the Bill Mickler Memorial Reef. William “Bill” Mickler was a 5th generation Floridian, former CCA Florida Big Bend Chapter President, CCA Florida Executive State Board Member, CCA Florida Life Member, and member of the CCA Florida Habitat Committee. Bill also served on the board of directors for OAR for many years. He was passionate about saltwater fishing and habitat restoration, an advocate for recreational fishermen, and worked tirelessly with CCA Florida and OAR on artificial reef projects in the Big Bend area.

Nineteen (19) reef modules including three (3) 15-foot tall Super Reefs weighing 15 tons each with one (1) Florida Limestone Artificial Reef (FLAR) weighing 3 tons inside each Super Reef, and thirteen (13) 8-foot tall FLAR’s weighing 3 tons each, were deployed by Walter Marine at the Carrabelle 20-Mile reef site (29˚ 35.340′, -84˚ 25.679′) in the Gulf of America surrounded by Bill’s family and friends. As the last few reef structures were being deployed, a large pod of dolphins showed up unexpectedly, swimming around all the boats and the new reef for several minutes and creating an experience those in attendance won’t soon forget!

August 15, 2025 – Ted Forsgren Nekton Rorqual Reef Deployment – CCA Florida joined Okaloosa County in deploying the first of two former dive vessels to create the “Ted Forsgren Nekton Reef” near Destin. The reef will honor Ted Forsgren, who served as CCA Florida’s first employee and Executive Director in 1985 and held that position for 27 years. A lifelong conservation advocate, Forsgren was instrumental in advancing landmark fisheries policy in Florida. The Ted Forsgren Nekton Reef will be constructed using two decommissioned dive vessels, the Nekton Rorqual (80 feet in length) and the Nekton Pilot (75 feet in length). The reef site is located approximately 22 nautical miles south of Destin East Pass, at a depth of approximately 130 to 140 feet. The second vessel, the Nekton Pilot, will be deployed in October 2025.

August 21, 2025 – CCA Florida/Duke Energy VOG Event – The CCA Florida Habitat Team traveled to Crystal River to host a vertical oyster garden (VOG) workshop with staff from Duke Energy. This event was in honor of Patty West, the Director of Environmental Field Support for Duke Energy Florida. Patty is set to retire in September, concluding a respected, long-tenured career as an environmental leader for countless individuals within Duke Energy. In addition, Patty has always been a staunch supporter and advocate of the CCA/Duke Energy Mariculture Center, which has played a key role in CCA Florida’s restoration efforts. During the event, more than 30 Duke Energy staff members joined to assemble vertical oyster gardens and celebrate Patty’s impactful career. The Duke Energy team assembled over 100 VOGs that will be deployed throughout Crystal River to monitor oyster spat recruitment and help improve water quality. All of the oyster shells used to create these VOGs were recycled locally by Seafood Seller and Café and cured at the CCA Florida Duke Energy Oyster Recycling Facility.

September 9, 2025 – CCA Florida helps kick off the “Introduction to the Indian River Lagoon” Program – The CCA Florida Habitat Team traveled to Vero Beach to give a presentation to the VLE Homeschoolers to kick off their new “Introduction to the Indian River Lagoon” program. The students learned about the different habitats found throughout the IRL, along with some of the notable species that call the lagoon home. Each student also had the opportunity to get hands on and plant a red mangrove propagule, while learning about the restoration process and why mangroves are so important.

September 9, 2025 – St. Andrews Bay Seagrass Restoration Project – CCA Florida and Sea & Shoreline have once again joined forces on a seagrass restoration initiative, this time in Florida’s Panhandle. Phase I of the project began in early September within the St. Andrews Bay Aquatic Preserve near St. Andrews Pass. This phase includes the installation of 24,600 sediment tubes to support topographic restoration of seagrass injuries, along with the planting of 49,000 nursery-grown seagrass units to accelerate habitat recovery. Building on previous restoration efforts, this project aims to repair vessel-related damage and enhance the long-term health of seagrass beds within the Preserve.

September 12, 2025 – Destin High School Reef Deployment – On September 12, CCA Florida partnered with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources to support the deployment of the “DHS Reef 2025,” a new artificial reef organized by the Destin High School fishing class. This marks the third consecutive year that the class has successfully raised funds and assisted with the deployment of artificial reefs off the coast of Okaloosa County. The project involved the placement of twenty-five (25) Florida Limestone Artificial Reefs (FLARS), manufactured by Walter Marine, in state waters at coordinates 30° 21.729’N, 86° 37.753’W, at a depth of 66 feet. The reef site is located approximately 6.2 nautical miles from Destin’s East Pass and roughly 2 nautical miles offshore. CCA Florida contributed $10,000 toward the initiative, joining a strong coalition of community members and partners who came together in support of this important reef project.

September 13, 2025 – Mangrove Planting in Fort Lauderdale – The CCA Florida Broward Chapter and the Urban Farming Institute (UFI) teamed up and with several volunteers to plant 40 mangroves on the shorelines of Coontie Hatchee Park in Fort Lauderdale. These mangroves will help stabilize the shoreline, provide habitat for marine life and filter water. Thanks to all of the volunteers that came out to help.

September 13, 2025 – CCA Florida Fin Fest – This weekend at Florida Fin Fest in Jacksonville, CCA Florida’s Director of Habitat and Environmental Restoration Frank Gidus shared insights on the importance of water quality and what it means for the future of our fisheries. Protecting and restoring Florida’s waters is at the heart of our mission, and conversations like these keep the momentum going. The CCA Florida booth featured different habitat restoration efforts ongoing throughout the state, along with a “Super Clam” touch tank and red mangrove propagule station. Attendees had the opportunity to win CCA swag and get hands-on to plant their very own red mangrove that will be grown at the CCA Duke Energy Mariculture Center.

September 15, 2025 – CCA/UNF Living Shoreline Oyster Reef Project – CCA Florida partnered with the University of North Florida (UNF) Coastal and Marine Biology program and the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors to develop an experimental “Living Shoreline – Oyster Reef” project in northeast Florida. This project is intended to rebuild historical populations of Eastern oysters by providing suitable habitat for oyster spat to settle and grow. Twenty-five cement-based substrates known as Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat (POSH) units were deployed by a dozen CCA Florida and NEFAR volunteers at a site where historic oyster beds once occurred within the UNF’s 1,050-acre property in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the William C. Webb Coastal Research Station. CCA Florida contributed $10,000 to the project for supplies, labor, construction, and monthly monitoring of the POSH units.

September 18, 2025 – Spartina Grass Planting – The CCA Florida, Duke Energy, Tampa Bay Watch (TBW) and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) harvested over 2,500 spartina plants from the CCA Florida and Duke Energy Mariculture Center in Crystal River. The plants will be used for TBW’s Community Wetland Nurseries and for their Bay Grasses in Classes program that engages youth in habitat restoration. Partnerships are vital to our coastal restoration efforts because they unite local communities, volunteers, and organizations in a common mission to protect and rebuild our natural resources.

September 27, 2025 –Apollo Beach Preserve Mangrove Restoration Project – CCA Florida teamed up with Hillsborough County and Duke Energy on a new mangrove restoration project within the Apollo Beach Nature Preserve. Local volunteers joined forces to plant approximately 75 red mangroves and 125 black mangroves along a shoreline that was severely damaged during past hurricanes. These mangroves will help stabilize the shoreline and reduce erosion while providing vital marine habitat.

September 27, 2025 – Mangrove Propagules and Trash Project – On Saturday, September 27, the CCA Florida Broward Chapter worked with volunteers to collect free-floating mangrove propagules and trash along the intracoastal waterways of Fort Lauderdale. These 2,500 propagules will be potted and, once matured, will be planted to help stabilize shorelines, clean water and provide habitat for marine life.

October 9, 2025 – Fred Crabill Fantasy Island Living Shoreline Project – On Thursday and Florida, CCA Florida teamed up with Tampa Bay Watch to continue work on the Fred Crabill Fantasy Island Living Shoreline Project in Tampa Bay. More than 20 volunteers joined the effort and deployed 72 oyster reef balls each day. Each oyster reef ball weighs approximately 200 pounds and are designed to reduce shoreline erosion while supporting oyster growth, improve water quality and create habitat for marine life. The work will continue on in December and will be completed in the Spring of 2026.

October 15, 2025 – Ted Forsgren Nekton Pilot Reef Deployment – On Wednesday, October 15, the Nekton Pilot, a 75-foot former dive vessel, was successfully deployed off the coast of Destin–Fort Walton Beach, completing the CCA Ted Forsgren Nekton Reef. The Nekton Pilot was deployed in 130 feet of water at coordinates 30°04.442’N, 86°18.486’W, marking the second and final vessel to complete the reef. The 80-foot Nekton Rorqual was the first vessel deployed earlier this year on August 15. Ted Forsgren, for whom the reef is named, was a longtime Executive Director of CCA Florida and played a pivotal role in leading the 1994 constitutional amendment campaign that secured a statewide ban on entangling nets—an effort overwhelmingly supported by 72% of voters. CCA Florida contributed $69,000 toward this project as part of its continued commitment to marine habitat restoration and enhancement.

 

October 15, 2025 – Homestead Chapter VOG Event – The CCA Florida Homestead Chapter, the RM Media team and local volunteers completed a Vertical Oyster Garden (VOG) Workshop, making 100 VOGs. These will be deployed at a later date in conjunction with the ongoing North Palm Beach oyster restoration project. Thanks to everyone that came out and made this a successful event!

October 16, 2025 – CCA Florida and I.CARE Coral Workshop – Once again, CCA Florida teamed up with the I.CARE team to host another coral outplant workshop for local CCA members! Throughout the morning, participants were educated on the importance of coral reefs, the threats our reefs are facing, and ways we can help protect the reefs. Following the training course, the group ventured out to Rocky Top Reef off the coast of Islamorada to participate in two hands-on coral outplant dives. Working alongside the I.CARE team, our CCA group successfully out-planted 66 fragments of grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis.

October 18, 2025 – CCA Florida Jacksonville VOG Event – CCA Florida teamed up with the St. John’s RIVERKEEPER and Jacksonville University’s Marine Science and Research Institute to host another vertical oyster workshop. Over 30 volunteers attended the event and teamed up to assemble over 150 new VOG’s. These VOGs will be deployed from residential docks throughout the intercoastal waterways of Jacksonville. Over the next year or so, students from Dr. Dan McCarthy’s marine ecology course will be collecting data to determine what species seek refuge within the VOGs and the amount of spat recruitment within the area.

October 30, 2025 – CCA Florida/Manatee County Oyster Project – On October 30, CCA Florida’s habitat team joined the Manatee County Natural Resources Department at Robinson Preserve to support their ongoing oyster habitat restoration efforts. The project utilizes recycled oyster shell to restore critical habitat for the American oystercatcher and numerous wading bird species. CCA Florida contributed 7.5 tons of recycled oyster shell to this initiative, as well as to an upcoming restoration project in the Manatee River. This effort was made possible through a grant from the Florida State Wildlife Grants Program and is a collaborative partnership among CCA Florida, Manatee County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Manatee Fish and Game Association. CCA Florida contributed an in-kind grant match of $25,000 which included $5,000 cash and donations of recycled oyster shell.

November 12, 2025 – Stuart Women’s Club Habitat Day – CCA Florida once again hosted a habitat restoration workshop for the Women’s Club of Stuart. Around 20 women from the club joined to help repot red mangroves and assemble vertical oyster gardens (VOGs). These mangroves will be transported to the CCA Florida – Duke Energy Mariculture Center to grow at the nursery until they are ready for a future shoreline restoration project.

November 13, 2025 –Southeast Artificial Reef Workshop – The CCA FL Habitat Team presented on our artificial reef and habitat initiatives at the FWC and Florida SeaGrant Southeast Florida Regional Artificial Reef Workshop in West Palm Beach. This workshop brought together about 50 artificial reef coordinators, managers, researchers, industry experts and other interested stakeholders to discuss new research, discuss challenges, provide regional updates for Florida’s Southeast region and inform statewide initiatives.

November 18, 2025 – USF Fishing Club Habitat Day – In November, the USF Fishing Club traveled to Crystal River for a habitat day at the CCA Florida and Duke Energy Mariculture Center. The day started with a tour of the facility, educating the club on the ongoing habitat restoration and stock enhancement efforts centered around the mariculture center. The club got their hands dirty and helped harvest approximately 200 Spartina patens plants from the 1-acre nursery pond. These plants were transplanted into 1-gal pots and will be used for an upcoming shoreline restoration project with FDEP at Stump Pass State Park

November 20, 2025 – CCA Green Reef – CCA Florida, in partnership with the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Department, successfully deployed the “CCA Green Reef” 17 miles east of Port Canaveral (28˚24.401’ N, -80˚18.335’ W). This new artificial reef is named in honor of Scott Green, a CCA Florida Life Member and one of the organization’s founding leaders. Scott’s long-standing service includes his tenure as Florida State Chairman, membership on CCA’s National Executive Board, and contributions to numerous state and national committees. The reef creation utilized 800 tons of concrete culverts generously donated by Teen Missions International, $4,000 of funding from FSFA and CFSA, with CCA Florida investing $56,000 to bring the project to fruition. This deployment represents a significant advancement in ongoing efforts to enhance marine habitat and support Florida’s coastal ecosystems.

November 22, 2025 – Village of North Palm Beach VOG Workshop– CCA Florida teamed up with the Village of North Palm Beach to host another Vertical Oyster Garden (VOG) workshop. The event was held at Anchorage Park and over 20 volunteers attended to help assemble 100 new VOGs. These VOGs will be distributed and deployed from residential docks throughout the Village of North Palm Beach. This ongoing program started deploying VOGs back in April and they’ve seen tremendous growth in just a few months.

back to habitat restoration