BP grants bolster plans for artificial reef project off Collier coast

NAPLES — BP has awarded $1.3 million in grants toward plans to create artificial reefs along the Collier County coast.

Nearly three years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, local governments in Collier County, Marco Island and Naples are to collectively receive $1.3 million in grants from BP's Gulf Tourism and Seafood Promotion Fund.

Naples-based attorney Peter Flood, who helped create the project to sink 36 artificial reefs off Collier County, sought local government support to make the BP claims.

"I do a lot of BP claims as an attorney," he said. "The county and the city didn't know about the possibilities. The reason I'm doing this is we're lacking in this area of reefs. Everything on land here is first-class. We're lagging behind when it comes to artificial reefs. This is going to be a world-class system that will last forever."

Naples, Collier County and Marco Island government leaders will need to formally accept their specific grant. Marco Island officials are scheduled to do so at a council meeting in February.
In the meantime, a written agreement is in the works between officials of Marco Island, Naples, county government and Flood, Collier County spokeswoman Connie Deane said.

"We're showing everybody that the private sector and government sector can work together," Flood said.

The BP-funded grants were approved through the Deepwater Horizon Claims administration.
"It was very competitive to get these," said Nick Gagliano, grants coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon claims administration. "We had a lot of very good applications. We felt they (Collier governments) made a good case for improving fishing opportunities and outdoor water activity."There were about 350 Golf Tourism and Seafood Promotional Fund applications from throughout the Gulf Coast and 110 were awarded, Gagliano said.

Collier County government received $500,000, Naples $313,650 and Marco Island received $500,000. Collectively that accounts for more than $1.3 million of the $10.6 million awarded throughout Florida.

Flood anticipates the first reef going in as early as July. Private donations are sought to meet the balance of the project cost, estimated at $3.5 million or more.