The City of Naples finished placing 59 concrete pilings on the Gulf of Mexico seabed on April 24, 2026, transforming debris from the hurricane-shattered Naples Pier into a new marine habitat. Construction contractor Shoreline Foundation, Inc., executed the job under a US Army Corps of Engineers permit, with marine engineers from Turrell, Hall & Associates overseeing the placement at Wasmer Reef, roughly 10 miles offshore from Gordon Pass. It’s not just waste management; it’s a calculated ecological play.
The material comes from the pier’s September 28, 2022, collapse, when Hurricane Ian tore through the 1888 landmark. The storm left a substantial section of the waterfront structure in ruins, forcing a full reconstruction plan. Rather than hauling everything to a landfill, officials redirected the heavy concrete to expand the existing artificial reef system first established in 2015.
Wasmer Reef is now the eighth site in that network, originally funded by BP oil spill grants and private donations. The new 300-ton addition provides hard surfaces for corals, bivalves, and tunicates, which in turn support fish populations. Dive teams verified the site conditions before and after the drop to ensure compliance, though the ecological payoff will take time to fully manifest.
Pilings not selected for the reef are heading to a recycling facility for processing into road construction aggregate. The primary pier reconstruction continues at the original site, aiming for a stronger, more resilient structure capable of withstanding future storms. The old concrete now lies on the seabed, while the new pier rises above, both born from the wreckage of Ian.