World
Historic SS United States Sunk Off Florida to Create World's Largest Artificial Reef
The historic SS United States has been deliberately sunk off the coast of Florida to transform the former ocean liner into the world's largest artificial reef. The nearly 1,000-foot vessel will now rest on the ocean floor to provide a habitat for marine life and serve as a diving destination.
The SS United States, launched in 1952 and celebrated for setting a transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage, has reached the end of its journey at sea. After years of preservation challenges and rising maintenance costs in Philadelphia, Florida's Okaloosa county purchased the ship in 2024 to repurpose it. The vessel was deployed off the coast of Destin, where workers hollowed out the hull and cut openings to allow water to fill it gradually. It settled on the seafloor in the Gulf of Mexico, with upper decks sitting below the surface to create a vibrant marine habitat for species like red snapper, grouper, and tuna.
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