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Photo courtesy of Eternal Reefs, Larry D. Beggs. Dr. Harriman's module: second from the left on the front row.
On Monday, Oct. 11, Eternal Reefs, Inc. and the Escambia County Marine Resources Division deployed 12 concrete artificial reef modules in the Gulf of Mexico as part of their annual deployment of eternal reefs in Escambia County’s artificial reef sites. One of the modules was deployed in honor of Dr. Robert Harriman, former administrator of Gulf Breeze Hospital and the Andrews Institute for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine. Dr. Harriman was a longtime resident of Pensacola Beach and a strong proponent for local waterways. He passed away on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021 at the age of 73.
"It's an honor to be a part of a reef project in memory of someone who was such an advocate for our local waterways," said Marine Resources Division Manager Captain Robert Turpin. "Dr. Harriman lived on Pensacola Beach for many years and was well-known in the area. His family and friends were in attendance aboard another vessel during the reef deployment as well. It was a special moment for everyone involved."
Divers who wish to visit the artificial reefs will find them at 30° 17.517 minutes north by 87° 14.006 minutes west. The reef site is approximately four miles southeast of Pensacola Pass in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 48 feet.
Artificial reefs provide fishing and diving sites in the Gulf of Mexico waters off Escambia County and are constructed using durable materials. Each year, Eternal Reefs, Inc. deploys a number of concrete artificial reef modules in one of Escambia County's permitted artificial reef sites at no cost to the county. The county's Marine Resources Division manages the project in accordance with permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Learn more about artificial reefs in Escambia County here.
About Eternal Reefs
The Genesis Reef Project dba Eternal Reefs, Inc. is a Sarasota-based non-profit organization that provides a creative, environmentally enhancing way to memorialize the cremated remains of a loved one. Eternal Reefs incorporates cremains into a proprietary concrete mixture to create permanent memorial reefs which quickly bolster natural coastal reef formations.
In November 2019, Eternal Reefs dedicated the On Eternal Patrol Memorial Reef to honor the 4,000+ lost souls aboard the 65 U.S. submarines that never returned from duty. The reef site is the first and only memorial to these veterans in the environment in which they served, the ocean, and is also the future location for Arlington of the Sea, a project to offer our nation’s veterans an ocean memorial alternative to Arlington National Cemetery. Eternal Reefs pioneered the concept of reef memorialization and, since 1998, the organization has placed nearly 2,000 Memorial Reefs in 25 locations off U.S. coastlines, substantially increasing the ocean’s diminishing reef systems. Memorial reefs can only go in properly permitted locations by a host of governing agencies. The Reef Ball Foundation and Reef Innovations are strategic partners. Learn more at www.EternalReefs.com or on the company's Facebook page.
Photo courtesy of Eternal Reefs.
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