In 2009, Key West sank the 523-foot Vandenberg in 140 feet of water; one year later, REEF monitoring had documented 123 fish species on the former ship

A former 523-foot missile-tracking ship, the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, was sunk off the coast of Key West, Florida, on May 27, 2009. It wasn’t an accident; city officials and conservation groups intentionally sank the retired vessel seven miles offshore in about 140 feet of water to create a new reef for fish, divers, and anglers. The plan worked faster than most people expected, according to the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), which tracked the ship’s transformation. REEF’s Advanced Assessment Team began surveying the wreck shortly after it settled onto the seafloor and documented 123 fish species on the reef within a year of its sinking.

Why this particular wreck matters