Ship Shoal 33 Louisiana reef project boosts marine habitat and fisheries

COCODRIE, La. (KLFY) – The Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana has successfully installed the Ship Shoal 33 Artificial Reef south of Morgan City, adding nearly 8,000 square feet of new marine habitat.

This project, completed on September 4, 2025, was led by CCA Louisiana in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and involved collaboration with companies such as Chevron, Natrx, Danos, White Water Contractors, and Duplantis Design Group.

“The Ship Shoal 33 reef project demonstrates the power of partnership in creating meaningful environmental and community benefits,” said Jeremy Haken, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs at Chevron.

“Our objective at CCA is to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of our coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public,” said Rad Trascher, Executive Director and CEO of CCA Louisiana.

“As a Louisiana-founded company, it’s always an honor to be a part of the efforts restoring the marine ecosystems that sustain and benefit so many across our state,” said Leonard Nelson, CEO of Natrx.

“Danos is proud to stand alongside our partners at CCA and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to improve the resiliency of Louisiana’s coast,” said Eric Danos, CEO of Danos Ventures.

“Through the SS-33 reef project, White Water proudly reaffirms its commitment to conservation and to strengthening recreational fishing opportunities across our home state,” said Scott Settoon, Founder of White Water Contractors.

For the installation, CCA Louisiana deployed 400 of Natrx’s Wave Brush ExoForms™, known locally as “Cajun Coral,” along with 380 tons of broken concrete to maximize habitat creation.

These proprietary structures were manufactured at Danos’ facility in Amelia through their partnership with Natrx.

White Water Contractors provided additional barges, tugs, and excavators during the CCA-managed installation.

Duplantis Design Group performed pre-and-post construction surveys for the site.

The Ship Shoal 33 Artificial Reef project is expected to enhance marine habitat and sustain fisheries, contributing to the long-term resilience of Louisiana’s coastal ecosystems.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.