Reef CCA - Deck Barge

Reef CCA — Deck Barge is an intermediate artificial reef dive site in Georgia's offshore Atlantic waters, where a deliberately sunk deck barge provides the substantial flat-topped structure that creates distinctive diving opportunities in the otherwise relatively featureless sandy bottom off the Georgia coast. This site within Georgia's coordinated Coastal Communities Artificial Reef (CCA) program demonstrates how purpose-sunk vessels of varying types create different types of reef habitat, with the deck barge's broad, flat deck providing a surface quite unlike those of more conventional ship wrecks. Deck barges are utilitarian vessels designed for cargo transport and construction support, their simple, flat-topped design optimized for carrying materials rather than aesthetic appeal. On the seafloor, however, this simple design creates a useful reef configuration, with the broad deck providing a large horizontal surface at a consistent depth while the hull's sides and internal structure create vertical habitat zones at different depths. This geometric simplicity, combined with the solid construction typical of working barges, provides durable reef substrate that supports long-term marine colonization. The barge's surfaces have been colonized by the encrusting organisms that transform artificial structures into functioning reefs. Sponges dominate the older sections of colonization, their varied growth forms creating the textured surface that smaller organisms depend upon. The warm, Gulf Stream-influenced water of Georgia's offshore zone supports vigorous growth rates that have allowed the barge's surfaces to develop impressively in the years since sinking. Fish populations around the Reef CCA Deck Barge include species typical of Georgia's offshore artificial reef community. Grouper claim the prime sheltered positions beneath the hull, while the open deck surfaces and the water column above host the schooling species that make these reef sites so visually dynamic. The barge's position within the broader Reef CCA complex means that divers can explore multiple artificial reef structures during a single offshore trip, experiencing the variety of different vessel types deployed within the program. Reef CCA's Deck Barge contributes to the portfolio of artificial reef diving that has made Georgia's offshore waters a genuine diving destination despite the state's lack of natural hard reef structures.