salvaged superyacht built in the 1980s becomes an artificial reef as it sinks into the sea

M/Y Time superyacht plunges into the sea to help marine life

Non-profit Marine Cleanup Initiative sailed away into the ocean from Hutchinson Island in Florida and brought M/Y Time superyacht built in the 1980s by Palmer Johnson Yachts with its team. Once they reached their destination, they let it sink into the sea in hopes of completely transforming the stainless aluminum ship into a natural artificial reef over the next or in 50 years.

Marine Cleanup Initiative collaborated with McCulley Marine Services and the St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program for the deployment of the first superyacht, a Palmer Johnson Yacht one, on record to be sunk as an artificial reef on July 15th, 2023. The M/Y Time superyacht is intended to become the A. A. Hendry Artificial Reef, and Marine Cleanup Initiative has reported that the ship is now resting deep in the sea at a depth of 160 feet.

The non-profit, led by Christa Stone, hopes that the sunken M/Y Time superyacht built in 1987 would amass spores of Oculina varicosa, or Ivory bush coral, around its 264 tons of stainless aluminum over time. As shared in a Facebook post, Marine Cleanup Initiative says that tech divers will be swimming around and into the A. A. Hendry artificial reef in the coming weeks to check its progress and state, adding that ‘if theories prove correct, in 50 years she will be graced with Oculina varicosa, outside of the Oculina Banks. It is a true timeless honor to Tom Fexas and Palmer Johnson,’ the post states.

images by Marine Cleanup Initiative via Facebook (unless stated)

Marine cleanup initiative creates dwellings under the sea

Non-profit Marine Cleanup Initiative aims to create dwellings in the sea for young fish and other aquatic life so they can rest and grow in peace and help increase marine life populations. These under-the-sea homes are created by building natural habitats that ensure the healthy condition of the waters too.

An example that the team has recently carried out is plunging the 260-ton M/Y Time superyacht by Palmer Johnson Yachts into the ocean where, instead of recycling the ship into land products, corals can grow around the abandoned ship and allow marine life to revive and restore damage caused by human actions.

This was the non-profit’s fifth deployment and the 7th vessel it has shared with St. Lucie County since 2017 under the guidance of Jim Oppenborn. The M/Y Time was acquired by Marine Cleanup Initiative in August 2022 through a donation from the Martin County Anglers Club of Martin County and had undergone decommissioning by McCulley Marine Services, spearheaded by Jack McCulley, to meet the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency for its deployment.

Marine Cleanup Initiative sailed away from Hutchinson Island in Florida and brought M/Y Time superyacht

As the non-profit believes, human activities and natural factors have damaged many reefs, which negatively affects the oceans and water resources. Restoring coral reefs, like planting new coral or using artificial structures, helps fix some of the damage. The team, supported by John Reed who discovered the Oculina Banks in the area in the 1980s, approaches it in two ways, depending on the resources they have and can gather, and one tangible example is by sinking the salvage superyacht by Palmer Johnson Yachts.

Either they grow new coral and plant it where the reefs have died off, dubbed coral transplantation, or they create artificial structures that act like reefs. Often, the non-profit uses a combination of both methods and has recently completed 9 deployments, each one designed to create plankton-rich feeding spots that attract small animals and accumulate encrusting coral and sponges for flourishing marine life.

the ship sinks into the sea in hopes of transforming it into a natural artificial reef in 50 years