Atlanta-based transport company MARTA is going to retire eight train cars and place them in the Atlantic Ocean. The cars will be submerged off the coast of Georgia near Savannah as part of a recently approved project. The hope is to provide a new underwater habitat for marine life.
MARTA’s board of directors recently approved the $2.1 million project with the first two rail cars being placed in the sea this summer. The cars will be stripped of their parts, cleaned, and dismantled before being placed in the water. They will then be placed in targeted spots between April and November only, so that the activity does not disturb the population of North Atlantic Right whales. The other six rail cars will go through the same process next year.
Georgia’s coast is home to shrimp, crabs, oysters, right whales, dolphins, loggerhead sea turtles, fish, manatees, and the seagrass beds on which they feed.
These won’t be the first artificial reefs to be placed in Georgia’s waters, however, with dozens already placed offshore. Most are located from 2-23 nautical miles and at depths from 15-75’, as well as experimental deepwater artificial reefs as deep as 170’.
The reefs are made up of man-made concrete “bio-Balls” and tetrahedrons, sunken tanks from the Military and Landing Craft, subway cars, rubble, barges, and other vessels.
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