CCA Louisiana’s REEF Louisiana Program has begun construction on a new addition to the Rawls Reef Complex in Vermilion Block 119, returning to the same offshore footprint where CCA first deployed reef habitat in 2019. The expansion builds on one of the most successful projects in the REEF Louisiana Program’s history and continues CCA’s long-term commitment to replacing fish habitat lost when oil and gas platforms are removed from Louisiana’s offshore waters.
The Vermilion 119 expansion is sponsored by Shell, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and CCA Louisiana, with additional project support from CCA’s Building Conservation Trust, Danos and Reefmaker. The new reef material will be deployed around the existing sunken platform site within Vermilion Block 119, in waters ranging from 55–75 feet deep.
“This is a perfect example of long-standing relationships making a difference in the marine ecology,” said Pat Murray, president of CCA National. “Approaching two decades of history with Shell, among others, our shared habitat programs are not only making marine resource better for tomorrow, they are creating better fishing opportunities and access for all the anglers who help conserve it. Multi-year large-scale projects like this have never been more important for the future of our coastal fisheries.”
The expansion will be built using two different sizes of Reefmaker reef pyramids. The pyramid design is engineered to attract and hold a wide range of reef-associated species, and the placement around the existing structure is intended to expand the productive habitat footprint that anglers and divers have come to know at the original Rawls site.
The original Rawls Reef Complex, built in 2019 in Vermilion Blocks 119 and 124, was named in honor of the late James “Jim” Edward Rawls, III, a decorated Vietnam Veteran, lifelong Louisiana outdoorsman and a founding father of the CCA REEF Louisiana Program. The sites were chosen by local anglers because the platforms that once stood there were favorites for red snapper and mangrove snapper anglers, as well as divers. Returning to Vermilion 119 to expand the complex reflects both the productivity of the original build and the continued demand from the recreational fishing community for permanent, public habitat in this part of the Louisiana coast.
“Most Louisiana anglers know what it means to lose a good platform,” said Rad Trascher, CEO of CCA Louisiana. “When that structure comes out of the water, so does the habitat that held the fish — and it doesn’t come back on its own. That’s why this work matters, and that’s why partnerships like the one we have with Shell and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are so valuable. Together, we’re putting structure back in the water for our future generations.”
The Vermilion 119 expansion marks the fourth artificial reef CCA Louisiana has put in the water in 2026, following the Eugene Island Block 74 reef installed in late March and the Port Wonder and Cutoff Point reefs installed in the Lake Charles area in April. The REEF Louisiana Program, CCA Louisiana’s flagship habitat initiative, focuses specifically on replacing lost habitat at sites where oil and gas platforms have been removed.
Funding for the Vermilion 119 expansion is provided by CCA Louisiana, Shell, CCA’s Building Conservation Trust and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Trust Fund, along with individual gifts from CCA Louisiana REEF Club members. In-kind support is being provided by Danos, and Reefmaker.
CCA Louisiana continues to develop additional reef projects at sites where platforms have been removed, with several more builds in planning stages across the Louisiana coast for installations this year.
PROJECT PARTNERS
CCA Louisiana is proud to partner with the following organizations to bring the Vermilion 119 reef expansion to life:
• Shell
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)
• CCA’s Building Conservation Trust
• Danos
• Reefmaker
