Subway cars which once carried passengers in Atlanta, United States, are submerged 20 meters below the Atlantic Ocean, teeming with fish, sea turtles and coral. It is possible dive to visit the place but authorities warn about the dangers of the practice. See below.
Late last year, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) launched a project with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to create coral reefs and support marine life . With that, he placed two wagons on the coast of the state of Georgia.
Before being sunk, the railcars underwent a hazardous materials removal and inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard. In August, the DNR’s Coastal Resources Division conducted its first inspection dive and found soft corals starting to grow in addition to at least nine species of fish.
“The artificial reef is doing very well, and we are excited about the growth of the corals and the presence of marine life,” he said. Cameron Brinton a marine biologist with the DNR’s Coastal Resources Division, according to a MARTA release.
“One of the railcar roofs collapsed, which is normal, and we will see more changes to the railcars over time as they become an essential part of marine habitat for creatures like game fish and endangered sea turtles,” Brinton added.
Atlanta subway cars aren’t the only objects divers and fishermen have found on the artificial reef known as the L, about 26 miles east of Ossabaw Island. There are also M-60 battle tanks of the US Army, barges, tugboats and even New York subway cars .
The reef was created in 1976 and is part of a network of 32 offshore reefs, according to MARTA. However, the practice of throwing artificial materials into the ocean to form reefs is an ancient behavior .
As early as the 18th century, Japanese fishermen were sinking old boats and rocks in local waters to improve fishing, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR warns about the dangers to divers who want to explore the sunken wagons s, as reefs were created “primarily for fishing habitat and offshore sport fishing opportunities. Wreckage and other reef material become unstable over time and can collapse.”
“For divers, the risk of becoming trapped or entangled is real and unavoidable in artificial structures like these.”
The post Turtles live in subway cars submerged in the sea in the US appeared first on CNN Brasil V&G.
Source: CNN Brasil
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