On September 4, 2014, 36 ex-military armored carriers were sunk into the ocean floor off South Carolina. The operation was carried out in cooperation with the South Carolina Army National Guard and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, as reported in a National Guard report on September 10, 2014. These were sunk into the Atlantic Ocean off Beaufort for the purpose of creating more artificial reefs, providing hard surfaces for marine life to attach to.
That was an estimate of their potential usefulness, not a confirmed lifespan for every vehicle. Martore also described how the structures could become covered with marine growth and be used by fish for food and protection. The project also had a recreational purpose. Artificial reefs give anglers additional fishing locations and offer scuba divers places to explore. In the National Guard’s account, 1st Lt.
The National Guard’s report quoted Robert Martore of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, who estimated that the vehicles could remain productive as artificial reef material for up to 150 years. Jason Dunnagan, the state’s Innovative Readiness Training Program coordinator, estimated that the wider project generated $83 million annually for South Carolina through tourism-related activities, including hotel stays and deep-sea recreation.
