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Louisiana building 4 new artificial reefs

The reefs will provide a hard-bottom habitat where saltwater sport fish such as speckled trout, redfish and flounder are likely to hang out.
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Aerial photo Downtown Baton Rouge Louisiana USA

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation are creating four artificial reefs in Lake Borgne and the Mississippi Sound.

Spokesman Rene LeBreton says contractors have put down a total of 880 tons of limestone. Next, they'll set out 130 perforated concrete domes called reef balls. More than 80 cubic yards of oyster shells will finish the work.

LeBreton said Tuesday in an email it should be complete this month.

The area's bottom is soft mud. The reefs will provide a hard-bottom habitat where saltwater sport fish such as speckled trout, redfish and flounder are likely to hang out.

Oystering is barred from the reefs so oysters that settle there can serve as broodstock.

A large, yellow-lighted buoy marks each reef.

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