Artificial Reefs | JONATHAN BIRD’S BLUE WORLD

In the Florida Keys, several ships have been sunk intentionally as artificial reefs to provide habitat for fish and entertainment for scuba divers. Jonathan visits three wrecks of different ages to see how these wrecks turn into reefs and what it means to the local marine life.

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In shallow tropical oceans, coral reefs provide habitat and protection for thousands of species of marine animals, especially fish.

In places where the sea floor is too sandy to give coral a place to grab on and grow, there is very little fish life because there is no protection from predators.

For years, fishermen have known however that a shipwreck out in the middle of a flat featureless sea floor becomes a magnet for marine life. Not only is it a place for fish to hide from predators, but it’s also a place where coral can take hold and grow. For this reason, shipwrecks are often called artificial reefs.

Most shipwrecks are the result of accidents or warfare. They have become popular not just with fish, but with divers who want to see the fish or explore the wrecks. Sometimes these shipwrecks are not in the most convenient place for divers however, far from shore, sometimes in deep water.

So why not intentionally sink a ship in a convenient spot? That’s exactly what people are doing all around the world–sinking old ships as a way to create an artificial reef in a particular spot, sometimes to help out the fishermen, sometimes to give divers a place to go, and sometimes to help out the local marine life. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but sinking a big piece of junk on the bottom of the ocean can be a huge help to local marine life!

In 2009, a 522 foot long decommissioned missile-tracking warship called the Vandenberg, was sunk off Key West.

We head over to Southpoint Divers in Key West where we load the boat and join a regularly scheduled dive to the Vandenberg. Since this wreck is the second largest artificial reef in the world, it’s pretty popular with divers who come from all over the world to see it.

The next day, we head north up the keys to Key Largo. Key Largo has some world-famous wrecks. We stop in at Horizon Divers, Key Largo wreck diving experts. Tim and I load our gear onto the boat. Soon we’re on our way, navigating through the canals to the open ocean on a beautiful Keys day.

We arrive at the wreck of the Speigel Grove. A slightly older wreck, the Speigel Grove was sunk in 2002. As the crew ties the boat up to one of the mooring lines, I’m getting suited up for my dive.

So this is the wreck of the Speigel Grove. It’s 11 years old—a little bit older than the Vandenberg. Let’s go see what it looks like.

Some sections of the wreck are so overgrown with sponges and coral that they are completely unidentifiable. And while I definitely know I’m diving a shipwreck, it’s undeniable that nature is taking this man-made object back.

There is also no denying that exploring a shipwreck is fun. Since the Speigel Grove was prepared in advance for divers like the Vandenberg, it is safe for exploration.

This if course makes me wonder…what would an even older wreck look like? Our captain drives us a few miles to another, even older wreck, the Duane.

120 feet beneath this boat is the wreck of the Duane, which is 25 years old! I’m really curious to see what a 25 year old shipwreck looks like.

Leaving the bridge, I investigate yet another staircase, still recognizable as such, but so overgrown with sponges and coral that it now looks more like an abstract sculpture.

Everywhere I look, the wreck has grown thick colonies of cup corals.

And under every overhang, a school of fish, hiding from predators. The fish don’t know this was once a warship. For them, it’s just a great place to live, like any other reef. It seems that 25 years old is a good vintage for an artificial reef.

All too soon the dive must come to an end and I head back towards the mooring line to the boat. My adventures on shipwrecks have been illuminating. What I have learned is that the Vandenberg has a bright future as an artificial reef as the years go by. I’ll be checking in now and then to see how she does as she progresses from a ship to a mature artificial reef!