Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
5h ago

Florida Sinks SS United States to Create World’s Largest Artificial Reef

Organizers say controlled flooding plus deck modifications will let the 300‑meter liner settle on the seafloor to serve as new marine habitat, a diving destination, a draw for anglers.

Image
Image

Overview

  • The SS United States, which was sunk on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, now rests roughly 55 meters deep with its highest point about 18 meters below the surface at a site 35–40 km off Destin, Florida.
  • Florida authorities released video of the planned operation showing teams flooding the vessel without explosives after preparing the ship to settle predictably on the seafloor.
  • Project teams opened cooling‑system valves, removed more than 400 portholes and cut large openings in the decks to let water in gradually and control how the hull flooded.
  • Organizers say the roughly US$13.5 million project aims to make the ship the world’s largest artificial reef and to attract scuba divers and recreational fishers to the region.
  • The liner’s conversion ties conservation and tourism goals to local economics: officials expect new marine surfaces to draw species and visitors while critics have raised concerns about contamination and environmental risks; the move also eclipses a Pensacola aircraft carrier reef that had been the region’s largest.