Historic SS United States Sunk to Form Largest Artificial Reef off Florida
The retired ocean liner SS United States was deliberately scuttled off Florida's Gulf Coast to create an artificial reef, with divers and marine life expected to benefit.
The SS UnitedStates, a retired 1,000-foot ocean liner, was deliberately scuttled on Wednesday off the Gulf Coast of Florida to create what officials say will be the world’s largest artificial reef. After a slow descent, the ship settled upright at a depth of about 180 feet.
The project was carried out by Coleen Marine, a marine-engineering firm that specializes in artificial reefs. President and co-founder Coleen O'Malley said the company repaired hull openings, cleaned rusted surfaces and ensured the vessel sank straight down without turning. > "We've maintained the actual hull. So she's very recognizable," O'Malley said. > "We've made it so that the structure under the water is going to look like she did above the water."
Susan Gibbs, chair of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s designer, expressed mixed emotions about the vessel’s final voyage. > "It's a combination of grief, that I will be saying goodbye to her in her current form, but gratitude and hope in terms of what she will continue to give to the world," she told NPR's Morning Edition.
The liner, which entered service in 1952 and held the trans-Atlantic speed record for decades, had previously carried notable passengers such as Harry Truman, Walt Disney and Marilyn Monroe. Legal and financial challenges prevented the conservancy from converting the ship into a museum or hotel, leading Okaloosa County to purchase the vessel in 2024 and decide on its scuttling.
The conservancy plans to honor the ship with a museum in Florida, while divers anticipate the wreck will become a deep-sea habitat for fish and other marine species.