
What if there was a life for old Marta rail cars? Well, as it turns out, there is! As a part of the Department of Natural Resources Reef Project, two decommissioned Marta cars were sent out to the Georgia coast to provide a habitat for the sea creatures who live there!
Where are the sunken Marta rail cars located?
According to Marta’s official press release on the decommissioned railcars that were deployed off Savannah’s coast,
Last December, the decommissioned railcars were stripped of hazardous materials and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard before being transported by barge to Artificial Reef L, an established reef about two square miles in size, located approximately 23 nautical miles east of Ossabaw Island and deployed in about 55 to 65 feet of water.
How do they prepare the Marta cars for the reef?
Of course, there’s more that goes into forming artificial reefs than just dumping the old transit cars into the water. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constituion,
Before the rail cars are taken by barge to be dropped in the ocean, any oil, grease and solvents are removed and the cars are stripped of their parts. Only the shell of the car is added to the reef.
This ensures that the cars are clean and safe for the underwater habitat!
How can I see photos of the underwater Marta cars?
MARTA says,
In the first dive since the deployment, the DNR Coastal Resources Division witnessed a good amount of soft coral beginning to grow on the railcars and nine species of game fish.
And if this is cool news to you, we’ve got even more good news! Six more MARTA rail cars are set to join these two in the near future!
You can read the full report on Marta’s website, here!It’s so nice to know a little piece of Atlanta is helping our oceans!