Creating a Coral Reef

[ScubaDave]

I was watching the Discovery Channel the other night and I stumbled across I program I found very interested. There was a reef conservation group who had gotten their hand on old US military ships. They had removed every harmful item and substance from the ship had then sunk it with charges placed in posistions around the ship.

After the ship had sunk, they left it there and returned a few weeks later to see the beginnings of a reef being formed! They had done this more than once! I found it really amazing, it essence they were creating an artificial reef based around this sunken ship!

[DJChesnutRabbit]

They've been doing that around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico for years. They've even tried other things like concrete and old tires chained together.
I remember reading an old article on the tire one. It failed miserably, the chains broke and tires were washing up on shore.

[whynotfive]

Most of the successful attempts have involved ships made safe and sunk. It's not easy making them totally safe because even paint on the ship could be toxic.

But the reefs are under threat, so anything like this that will help is excellent.

[ScubaDave]

I thought this was a perfect example on how nature can adapt, within days a coral reef had sprung up on the ship. It gives you hope that perhaps they won't be wiped out by mankind.

[whynotfive]

I think that of all of the animals that we are hurting, this is the one that we might possibly be able to help as well. Of course the fact that they are somewhat more sturdy than most helps too, but it would be nice to not wipe out another species.