Not all underwater reefs are made of coral − the US has created artificial reefs from sunken ships, radio towers, boxcars and even voting machines
- Written by Avery Paxton, Research Marine Biologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The bow of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Duane, a decommissioned ship deliberately sunk off Florida to serve as an artificial reef.Stephen Frink via Getty ImagesWhen people hear about underwater reefs, they usually picture colorful gardens created from coral. But some reefs are anchored to much more unusual foundations.
For more than a century,...