That subway car where you once sat on your morning commute might now be a bustling metropolis for the likes of fish, sea turtles, sponges and corals.
Did a subway train go off the rails and plunge into the ocean? No, this is a program in which the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) partnered with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to sink two of its decommissioned rail cars off Georgia’s coast to foster reef habitats and marine wildlife.
After removing all hazardous materials—and thorough inspections by the U.S. Coast Guard—the rail cars were sunk at the end of last year. In August, the DNR’s Coastal Resources Division made its first dive to inspect the cars. The team found early signs of success, with soft coral beginning to form and at least nine species of game fish making the reef their home.
While the reef structure is manmade, the marine life that colonizes it is entirely natural. Fish, sea turtles, and other ocean dwellers were likely the first to investigate the scene, with corals, sponges and other organisms now starting to flourish.
“The artificial reef is looking great, and we are encouraged by the amount of coral growth and marine wildlife activity,” Cameron Brinton, a marine biologist with DNR’s Coastal Resources Division, said in a press release.
“You’ll notice one of the railcar roofs has collapsed, which is typical, and we’ll see more changes to the railcars over time as they become part of the essential marine habitat for sea creatures, including popular sport fish and endangered sea turtles,” Brinton added.
These railcars aren’t the only things now found in what’s known as Artificial Reef L, located 23 nautical miles east of Ossabaw Island. The area also features U.S. Army M-60 battle tanks, barges, tugboats and even New York City subway cars. The marine life are loving it, and human adventurers are starting to explore too.