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Old Subway Cars As Artificial Reef

Posted by kdawson on from the take-the-a-train-to-the-bottom dept.

Pickens writes "Hundreds of retired New York City subway cars are being sunk sixteen nautical miles off Delaware's Indian River Inlet and about 80 feet underwater, continuing the transformation of a barren stretch of ocean floor into a bountiful oasis, carpeted in sea grasses, walled thick with blue mussels and sponges, and teeming with black sea bass and tautog. 'They're basically luxury condominiums for fish,' says Jeff Tinsman, artificial reef program manager for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Subway cars are roomy enough to invite certain fish, too heavy to shift easily in storms, and durable enough to avoid throwing off debris for decades. Tinsman particularly favors the newer subway cars with stainless steel on the outside to create reefs. 'We call these the DeLoreans of the deep,' he said. But success comes at a price because other states, seeing Delaware's successes, have started competing for the subway cars, which New York City provides free. 'The secret is out, I guess,' said Michael G. Zacchea, the MTA official in charge of getting rid of New York City's old subway cars."

15 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Good idea! by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    This shore is a good idea! (speaking littorally of course)

    --
    There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
    1. Re:Good idea! by Dahamma · · Score: 5, Funny

      This shore is a good idea! (speaking littorally of course)

      I'd mod you up if I could but the masses probably think you are fishing for mod points...

    2. Re:Good idea! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh, cod. This kind of thing makes me eel. I'm net that kind of buoy, sea? Is there really any porpoise to this, or are we carping and whaling?

      Ok, enough about this tail of roe ...

  2. Fools! by jimmux · · Score: 5, Funny

    'We call these the DeLoreans of the deep,'

    You fools! If the dolphins develop time travel there will be no stopping them!

    1. Re:Fools! by Brian+Gordon · · Score: 5, Interesting

      they could probably make 88mph o_o what has science done?!

  3. Oceans need more man made stuff in them! by Shadukar · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. dump some old trash in the previously perfectly fine ocean
    2. ???
    3. LUXURY CONDOMINIUMS FOR FISH

    1. Re:Oceans need more man made stuff in them! by Scruffy+Dan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      in the previously perfectly fine ocean
      The ocean hasn't been previously fine for a very long time now.
      --
      Just another crappy blog
    2. Re:Oceans need more man made stuff in them! by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Interesting

      We've also been leaving large steel objects on the ocean floor for quite some time (>100 years), both accidentally and deliberately . These are the least of our concerns when talking about ocean pollution. If you actually want to do something about the ocean start talking about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, because that's far more harmful to marine life then a few sunken subway cars or ships that actually provide shelter for fish and a surface for coral to grow on.

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  4. Typo by arotenbe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Subway cars are roomy enough to invite certain fish, too heavy to shift easily in storms, and durable enough that we won't have to care about them throwing off debris for decades. There, fixed it for you.
    --
    Tomato wedge sperm darts that are Republican.
  5. Re:Memories by robo_mojo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sorry, it got stuck in my head
    Please keep it there!
  6. Re:asbestos by McNally · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does anyone know how that comes into play in a marine environment?
    Clearly the fish will be at an increased risk of lung cancer.
  7. Re:asbestos by adolf · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Asbestos is a real danger to humans because it gets stuck in lungs. Fish, lacking lungs, shouldn't have this problem. Stuff goes *through* the gills, not into and out of them. My experience keeping fish shows that solids regularly pass through the gills of fish in the process of eating.

    The asbestos is probably safer down there than anywhere else, I'd guess.

    --
    Kid-proof tablet..
  8. Re:2000 years from now... by drspliff · · Score: 5, Funny
    New york was where?

    "A new discovery by our great leader shows ancient American maps may be off by 200 miles, our great leaders scientists believe New York may have been situated at the opening of the Delaware Bay; alternative theories suggest these submerged relics may have been attributed somehow to experiments at the Black Mesa facility (formerly CERN-LHC) in 2009"

    [history] (net.earth.news) 34899 points posted 3 mars hours ago by GreatLeader

    Halliburton retaliates against France!

    "The Great Leader has sent supporting troops to support Halliburton forces in retaliation following French aggression last week against the sovereign nation. Live holostream and kill-cam with Geraldo Rivera's clone from 7pm."

    [worldnews] (net.earth.actualités) 19148 points posted 5 mars hours ago by GreatLeader
  9. Oh I hope they know what they are doing by slew · · Score: 5, Informative
    I remember a long time ago when people tried to dump old tires in the ocean with the thought that they could form the basis for an artificial reef. Apparently that didn't work out so well...

    Maybe it'll work out better this time...

  10. Re:asbestos by pherthyl · · Score: 5, Funny

    On the other hand their risk of dying in a fire will decrease drastically..