Shell, LDWF, Danos, Reefmaker and CCA return to the Rawls site, adding new habitat where oil and gas platforms have been removed.
May 13, 2026 — Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana’s REEF Louisiana Program has expanded 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.
Along with conservation partners Shell, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, CCA’s Building Conservation Trust, Danos, and Reefmaker, CCA Louisiana deployed two different sizes of Reefmaker reef pyramids around the existing sunken platform site within Vermilion Block 119, in waters ranging from 55 to 75 feet deep. 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. Rawls — retired owner of Acadiana Divers & Salvage Corporation — was an avid outdoorsman whose passion for replacing lost oil and gas habitat with artificial reefs sparked the efforts that ultimately became the REEF Louisiana Program. The sites in VR 119 and 124 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.
“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 resources 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.”
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 later this year.
Members will receive more information about the Vermilion 119 expansion and CCA’s other upcoming projects in the coming weeks. For information about contributing to the Rawls Reef Complex or to become a REEF Louisiana Club member, please contact Collin Oubre at 225-952-9200.
