Artificial Reef

In September 2007, the MTA approved a contract, worth over $6 million, that would send more than 1,600 of its retired subway cars to be used as artificial reefs. Most of these trains ran on The BMT/IND lines. The trains include the R32, R38, R40 and R42. These models are made of stainless steel. The MTA will replace them with the R160A & R160B trains. Workers removed the plastic front ends found on most of the cars before sinking. The retired fleet also included old work trains and cars damaged beyond repair.
• USS Oriskany
The world's largest artificial reef was created by the purposeful sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, in 2006.