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June 3 - June 11
June 3, 2002
Very calm sea conditions enabled successful placement of the first reef module! The whole project team was pleased with the result and felt invigorated by the success. Work site 21A was completed. Securing the module in place to the reef rock required 1 1/2 batches of concrete. Site preparation also was initiated on site 18A. The team put in a very long day to take advantage of the calm seas.
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Wellwood Restoration contractor's work barge with tug on anchor at the Wellwood Restoration Site, Molasses Reef, on an unusually calm day. Click image for 300 dpi version.
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Crane lifting the first concrete reef module off the work barge to it's new resting place in Injury Site 21A of the Wellwood Coral Reef Restoration Project! Click image for 300 dpi version.
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Underwater Engineering Services Inc. (UESI) diver is preparing the reef module for the tremie concrete pouring process at restoration site 21A. Click image for 300 dpi version.
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UESI diver making sure that the tremie concrete delivery hose is positioned below the upper surface of the fresh concrete pour. This insures that the tremie concrete does not disperse into the water column, creating a potentially toxic condition to marine life. Click image for 300 dpi version.
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UESI diver placing tremie concrete at restoration site 21A. The precast reef module sits in the center of the pour. Eventually the tremie concrete level will rise to the base of the coral heads mounted on the module. The second UESI diver holding pre-cut fiberglass reinforcement bars during the tremie concrete pouring process. Click image for 300 dpi version.
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The reef module after the tremie pouring process. Click image for 300 dpi version.
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One final look at reef module at site 21A after the tremie concrete process and the placement of selected rocks to disguise any appearance of restoration work. Click image for 300 dpi version.
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June 4, 2002
The retaining wall was completed at site 18A before divers had to come out of the water and the barge had to be moved off site to the storm anchor due to rough seas. The on-site team had a productive feedback session to start the day, discussing “lessons learned” in placing the first module.
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Divers from Marine Resources, Inc. (MRI), unshackeling the mooring buoy line (yellow) from the barge mooring line (light blue). The Barge has four mooring buoys established at the Wellwood Restoration Site. All lines used on the restoration location are required to be "floating" type lines in order to avoid damage to the underwater reef formations. The Tug captain gave the order Tuesday afternoon to move the barge to the storm anchor after experiencing building seas. Click image for 300 dpi version.
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June 5, 2002
The Wellwood Restoration contractor, Underwater Engineering Services, Inc. put most of their workforce on "stand-by" today due to high winds, building seas and similarly forecasted conditions on Molasses Reef.
June 6-11, 2002
Rough seas and high winds, as well as personnel changes by the contractor, have continued to cause delays in restoration work at the site. The barge has remained at the storm anchor location for much of the time, and only conducted operations for a part of each day on 6/8 and 6/9.
Site 18A has been fully prepared and is awaiting placement of the module slated for that location. Sites 7A and 12A are being prepared.
The restoration site suffered vandalism over the weekend, with the theft of a number of exclusion buoys marking the work site and tampering with one of the barge mooring anchor points. NOAA and the contractor are concerned about these incidents, especially from a safety standpoint, with respect to workers and other boaters moving through the area. Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission enforcement personnel are continuing to investigate.
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