TANKS TO TRAILS

This week, volunteer divers will link four artificial reefs with an underwater trail using 140 reef balls. Several years ago, the county obtained five Army-surplus tanks (M-60 armored fighting vehicles to you war buffs) and sank them 13 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico to create the M-8 artificial reef in 65 feet of water. Before making their last "deployment," the tanks were scrubbed clean of pollutants by the local Army National Guard as part of its annual training, according to Sarasota County's Mike Sollum. With hatches welded open, the tanks became a wonderful habitat for marine animals. Using a $60,000 grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and authorization from the Army Corps of Engineers, Sarasota County will create a project to connect the tanks. As the tanks are close to each other, the project will create an underwater trail for SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) divers. The trail will commemorate Sarasota's first soldier to die in Iraq - helicopter pilot CW2 Kyle Jackson - and all other first responders in the county who have lost their lives in the line of duty. It will be called "The Trail of Fallen Heroes." Jackson's name is on a bronze plaque on one of the reef balls scheduled to be deployed this week. There will be three balls every 15 feet connecting the four sites, so divers can find their way. You can reach M-8 by going 12.6 nautical miles on a heading of 239 degrees true from the New Pass sea buoy. The northernmost tank is at 27 degrees 12 minutes 635 seconds north, 82 degrees 48 minutes 191 seconds west. The tanks are between 160 and 610 feet apart, with three reef balls every 15 feet to guide divers. Article thanks to Pelican Press.