South Fort Myers family installs ‘mini reef’ under dock to help improve water quality

A south Fort Myers family is working to improve water quality in Southwest Florida.

Jim Nolte and his wife installed a mini reef made of polypropylene plastic underneath their dock near Whiskey Creek to help “create a more vibrant marine ecosystem.”

The mini reefs, created by Ocean Habitats Inc., can clean over 30,000 gallons of water per day, grow over 300 fish per year and over 200 crabs per year.

“Every time people hear about this, they get excited they want to put it in. They want to put their dock to use and make a positive contribution to what’s going on in the area,” said David Wolfe, with Ocean Habitats Inc.

The mini reefs have been tested to withstand a storm and are designed to prevent wildlife from getting caught in them.

“It’s a way to do something to help  our environment,” Nolte said.

The mini reef costs $250. For more information, click here.