Formerly crowded subway cars in Atlanta, USA, now rest nearly 20 meters deep in the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by fish, sea turtles, and coral.
At the end of last year, The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) deployed two subway cars into the waters of Georgia as part of an initiative to enhance the habitat for coral reefs and marine wildlife, known as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Coral Reef Project. All hazardous materials were removed and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The MARTA subway cars have become safe havens for marine life beneath the ocean. (Photo: MARTA).
In August, the DNR Coastal Resources Division conducted its first dive to assess the subway cars and discovered soft corals beginning to grow, along with at least nine species of predatory fish residing in the area.
Cameron Brinton, a marine biologist with the DNR Coastal Resources Division, stated in a press release from MARTA, “The artificial reef looks fantastic, and we are thrilled with the coral growth and the activity of marine life.”
Fish swimming around the coral reef in the MARTA subway cars in the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo: MARTA).
“You will see a subway car roof that has collapsed, which is a normal phenomenon. We will witness many changes in the cars as they become an essential part of the marine environment, including popular fish species and endangered sea turtles,” Brinton added.
The subway cars are not the only items that divers and fishermen can find at this artificial reef. There is also an M-60 battle tank from the U.S. Army, barges, tugboats, and even a subway car from New York City.
According to MARTA, this reef was first developed in 1976 and is one of 32 offshore reef networks. The practice of deploying artificial structures (made from concrete or other hard materials) to mimic coral reefs has been around for centuries.
The DNR warns of the dangers for divers wishing to explore the sunken subway cars, stating, “Primarily, this effort helps create habitats for fish… Shipwrecks and other materials may become unstable over time and could collapse.”
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, in the 1700s, Japanese fishermen also sank old boats and pushed them into local waters to enhance fishing activities.
