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Old Vehicles Are Being Used To Make Artificial Reefs
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Old Vehicles Are Being Used To Make Artificial Reefs
Generally speaking, giant hunks of metal dumped into the ocean are bad things. And yet everything from decommissioned ships to subway cars, old trucks, and even tanks are being sunk to the bottom of the sea — not out of callous indifference or spite for Neptune and his pompous ways, but to give them a useful place to spend eternity. See, these metal shells provide hard, reliable surfaces for algae, coral, and invertebrate life to cling to. Then the fish that feed on those invertebrates are attracted to the area, and before you know it, you’ve got a whole thriving ecosystem based around a light rail car that drunk college students used to pee in.
What makes vehicles ideal are all the nooks and crannies they offer to shelter fish that would otherwise be hunted down and devoured in open waters. You’ve seen Finding Nemo, you know of this tragedy. Artificial reefs can therefore help restore the populations of struggling species. They’re durable and offer great backgrounds for movies about the dramatic reunions of fish parents with their fish children.
Davidevison/Adobe StockAnd it’s never too early to let the Mer King know who runs the show.
These reefs are being created all along the Atlantic coast, although they are carefully planned and monitored, so don’t get any ideas about helping the planet by driving your old Ford Fiesta into the ocean. No matter how badly you need the insurance money.
Dr. James McVey/NOAA“Yup, that’s right, a mile out to sea. It was one hell of a hydroplane. So how much do you pay for water damage?”
Alex Perry is a freelancer trying to get her novel about a time-traveling stalker and a heartwarming kid’s tale about a boy and his genetically modified pig/organ donor published. Sometimes she tweets.
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