About Hilton Head Reef Foundation (HHRF)
A Brief History
The Hilton Head Reef Foundation (HHRF) is a
non-profit, tax deductible 501c corporation originally founded by the
Hilton Head Island Sportfishing Club (HHISFC) for the purpose of
assisting The South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources in building artificial reefs off the
coast of Beaufort County, South Carolina. In 1992 the Foundation began
with the construction of the Fishamerica Reef and purchased and produced
structure for the Whitewater Reef, the Hilton Head Reef, and Eagles Nest
Reef.
As the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, through the
sale of saltwater fishing licenses, was able to afford adequate funding and
structure for further development of the artificial reefs, the Foundation
changed its emphasis to supporting fishery research and education by
contributing to SCDNR's Dolphin
Fish tagging program, the Waddell Mariculture Center's Red Drum and
Cobia stock enhancement efforts, Red Drum DNA studies, and Cobia research using
satellite tagging. More information on specific programs can be found under the
Projects section of this website.
HHRF strives to understand fisheries and adress problems before
they become catastrophic. Wheras government funds are generally directed at
more at risk fisheries, HHRF aims to prevent fisheries from reaching a critical
stage. As such, HHRF serves as an intermediate link between the fishing
community, local fishery conservation efforts, and government
programs.