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Warship Wreck Becomes Thriving Ocean Habitat
9 Sep
Summary
- A sunk warship now supports over 170 species of marine life.
- The artificial reef was created to boost local fish populations.
- Monitoring shows the wreck supports reproduction stages for marine life.
A retired Canadian warship, the HMCS Annapolis, deliberately sunk off British Columbia in 2015, has successfully become a thriving artificial reef. Placed in Halkett Bay Marine Park near Gambier Island, the 113.1-metre vessel was intended to create crucial habitat in an area impacted by log-boom storage.
Approved by Environment Canada for disposal at sea, the vessel underwent extensive preparation to remove pollutants before being scuttled. This created a significant structure on the seabed, which quickly began to attract marine life.
Biodiversity monitoring initiated by the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia (ARSBC) documented a remarkable increase in species. By June 2021, over 170 species of marine flora and fauna were recorded, representing all marine phyla found in the region.
The artificial reef has been particularly effective in supporting rockfish and lingcod, species that had seen population declines in Howe Sound. Observations of juvenile rockfish and lingcod guarding egg masses indicate the wreck is facilitating important reproductive stages.
This long-term project demonstrates how a well-prepared artificial structure can integrate into a marine ecosystem, providing complex habitats that support diverse life and reproduction, even after formal monitoring concluded.
