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Alabama Turns Casino Boat into Artificial Reef
6 Jul
Summary
- An old casino boat has been sunk to create an artificial reef.
- The vessel will serve as habitat for marine invertebrates and fish.
- Alabama's artificial reef system is among the world's largest.
An obsolete riverboat casino, the Argosy VI, has been strategically sunk off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama, to serve as a new artificial reef. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources acquired the vessel, originally from Indiana, and prepared it by removing gambling fixtures to create habitats for marine life.
This initiative is part of Alabama's extensive artificial reef system, which began in 1953. The state has a long history of sinking structures like barges, ships, and even tanks to provide essential hard-bottom habitats in the Gulf of Mexico's otherwise soft seabed.
Officials anticipate that fish will colonize the reef within weeks, with the ecosystem becoming highly productive over a couple of years. This process supports a complex food web, benefiting larger predatory fish and enhancing marine diversity, which also attracts tourism to the region.
