The U.S. Government is closed. This site will not be updated; however NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit www.commerce.gov. For the latest forecast and critical weather information, visit www.weather.gov. 

The U.S. government is closed. This site will not be updated; however, NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit commerce.gov. 

For the latest forecasts and critical weather information, visit weather.gov.

Shipwrecks provide ecological benefits

While shipwrecks are well-recognized as cultural icons, they are also ecological treasures because they create homes for underwater life. Drawing upon recent scientific advances, an international team of ecologists and archaeologists synthesized how when vessels wreck, they begin a “second life” as special ecological places on the river-, lake-, or seabed. https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/scientists-study-shipwrecks-to-understand-underwater-ecology

Graphic of a shipwreck shows succession, disturbance, and degradation of sunken ships over time and how they provide connectivity for apex predators.
Graphic depicting ecological processes on shipwrecks, including ecological processes like succession, zonation, connectivity, energy flow, disturbance, and degradation.