Tanks dumped in Gulf of Thailand to create artificial reefs

A fleet of disused tanks and trucks have been dumped into the sea off the coast of Thailand in a bid to form an artificial coral reef

From TheTelegraph

The unusual move is designed to boost the ecosystem in the Gulf of Thailand.
The rusting collection of trucks and 25 disused Army tanks are intended to form an artificial underwater structure to provide shelter for marine life and boost local fish stocks.

The vehicles were lowered into the sea off the Narathiwat coast by crane .
A wide-ranging marine conservation policy is being enacted in Thailand to preserve fish stocks and keep the seafood industry afloat.
The fertile waters of the Gulf of Thailand are crucial to the nation’s fishermen, but overfishing has left the ecosystem depleted in recent years.
The shallow arm of the South China sea harbours many natural coral reefs and is a popular scuba diving destination.
The Government announced a three-month ban on fishing in parts of the Gulf of Thailand last year in an attempt to improve breeding and replenish fish stocks.

By the way, a New Jersey program using subway cars to build artificial reefs has now been discontinued when it was discovered that the cars weren't holding up as expected.
The operation was originally suspended because the stainless steel cars were disintegrating after only seven months in the ocean.

Links :

• YouTube : Pensacola, FL home to the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, the world's largest artificial reef
• NYTimes : Growing pains for a deep-sea home built of subway cars
• Guidelines for Marine Artificial Reef Materials (January 2004)