The once-largest American ship known as the SS United States is soon possibly getting a new purpose as an artificial reef that will greatly improve marine life and serve as a new tourist spot in Florida. It is because after it was decommissioned, the ship remained without any purpose and spent the past decades seeing unsuccessful attempts to become a museum or attraction.
SS United States to be Sunk Intentionally to Help Marine Life
AP News reported that Okaloosa County officials have signed a new deal where they are on-board intentionally sinking the SS United States to deliver a new artificial reef that would help foster marine life. However, their plans are not yet in motion as it will depend on the settlement of a court-ordered mediation which talks about what to do with the ship as it has brought significant problems to the area.
The SS United States has long faced a legal issue with its unpaid docking fees and rent over at the county, particularly as it has sat in the dock for a long time without any purpose.
Previous efforts to repurpose the ship were unsuccessful in their ventures, as it has been turned into a museum and a tourist attraction to no avail.
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Florida's Future Tourist Attraction: A Sunken Ship
The 1952-built ship designed by naval architect William Francis Gibbs was only used in service for 17 years before it was retired, according to Interesting Engineering. Florida's Okaloosa County is optimistic about turning it into an artificial reef and a new underwater tourist attraction for those who want to visit it and possibly bring economic improvements.
It was once the largest American ship in the waters and was regarded for its speed and capabilities for transatlantic travel.
Artificial Reefs and Sunken Ships' Role
Reefs are known to be the home of marine animals who need places to settle in and feel safe, as not all can swim for long periods and rest anywhere in bodies of water, but the destruction of coral reefs has been a longtime problem. With this, many marine scientists and researchers have tried to contribute a new home for aquatic animals by providing artificial reefs that may serve as replacements.
Ships that sunk to the bottom of the ocean because of wrecks caused by natural disasters at sea, human errors, or battles of the past served as homes for marine animals for years, but these were not meant to be so. However, recent efforts proved that these ships that were no longer used or neglected over time could be helpful, with Texas previously sinking the Kinta S to serve a new purpose as an artificial reef.
In previous efforts to sink ships, they found that these previous fleets effectively housed aquatic animals and fostered marine life, offering additional underwater networks for a diverse group of species. Another good thing behind this effort is that there is no need for further work on these defunct ships to be used as artificial reefs, as they only need to settle at the ocean or seafloor to serve their new objective.
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