Eastern Shipbuilding Group has launched the fourth annual Coastline Initiative, a competition in which students at area welding schools design and build artificial reefs for deployment off Bay County, Fla.
Eastern is partnering with the Bay County Artificial Reef Association on the program. The shipbuilder will donate and deliver materials to participating teams. Each reef must use steel at least ¼" thick and weigh between 3,000 and 8,000 lbs. Teams are encouraged to incorporate school logos or themes into their designs.
Previous participants include Wakulla High School, Wewahitchka High School, Port St. Joe High School, Haney Technical College and Chipola College. Reefs built in earlier competitions have been deployed in Bay County’s permitted LAARS B area.
“Our Coastline Initiative bridges the gap between classroom education and environmental stewardship,” said Joey D’Isernia, Eastern’s CEO. “We are proud to partner with BCARA to foster technical skill development in our community’s youth while creating structures that will support diverse marine life for generations to come.”
Eastern said the competition gives students experience in engineering and welding while introducing them to potential shipbuilding careers.
Teams must complete their reefs by April 1, 2027. A one-day competition and voting event will follow at Captain Anderson’s Marina. Deployment in the Gulf is scheduled between April 19 and May 15, 2027. Members of the winning team will be invited aboard the support boat to watch their reef’s deployment.
The Coastline Initiative is part of Eastern’s broader effort to build a local shipbuilding workforce. The company has supplied materials to school welding programs and worked with instructors to align training with shipyard needs. Eastern is also working with Gulf County on a planned maritime academy next to its Port St. Joe facility, where students would train in welding, shipfitting, pipefitting and electrical work. The academy remains in development, with land secured and initial grant funding in place.
