Sunken Ships Make Great Reefs Off the New Jersey Coastline

If you took a submarine trip along the New Jersey coastline, you'd see that much of the ocean floor is flat and featureless. That's a tough environment for many ocean-dwellers, who like the nooks and crannies of reefs.

That's why New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection started the Artificial Reef Program over 30 years ago. They sink old ships, subway cars, army tanks and other hard, dense objects to be repurposed as marine habitats. And it doesn't take long: Barnacles, sea stars, mussels and crabs all start moving in after just two weeks.

Hear about one ship that the program is planning to sink in the next week. Plus: How many fish fit in one subway car? (Hint: it's more than the MTA's 200-person capacity!)