Rick’s Blog Live
On Nov. 12, the SS United States will be sunk off the western edge of Okaloosa County. When it settles on the Gulf floor, it will become the largest artificial reef in the world.
- Mimi Bass, president of the Pensacola chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association, joined me on Rick’s Blog Live to talk about the project. CCA Florida has committed $500,000, the largest individual contribution in its history, to the sinking.
The Ship
A piece of American history. The SS United States was built in 1951 and was considered a triumph of American engineering. Bass believes it may still be the largest passenger ship ever built in the United States. It also set the transatlantic crossing record, thanks to a long, narrow hull built for speed.
- Length: 990 feet
- Location: About 22 miles out in the Gulf, off western Okaloosa County
- Bottom: A secure rock bottom, with a depth of about 65 feet mentioned for diver access
- Coordinates: Latitude: 30° 07.244′ N, Longitude: 86° 46.932′ W
Habitat in the making. Bass has toured the vessel twice. She said she sees ready-made homes for marine life throughout the ship, including what looks like a future residence for a big grouper. The Okaloosa County team, led by Alex Fogg and the county’s natural resources staff, prepared the ship and brought it to the Gulf. Bass called their work “phenomenal.”
- Good news for divers, too. The ship’s interior is a maze, and I told Bass it could be creepy and fascinating for scuba enthusiasts. She said crews have opened some areas to create safer access.
Mark your calendar: CCA Pensacola Banquet
- When: 5;30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on December 9
- Place: Sanders Beach Corinne Jones Resource Center, 913 South I Street.
- What to expect: Door prizes, a silent auction and boat giveaways, plus plenty of swag
- Tickets here
Why CCA?
A voice for the angler. CCA Florida is celebrating its 40th year. Bass describes it as the largest marine environmental organization in the country and compares it to Ducks Unlimited for sportsmen. She said she joined as a lifelong fisherman who watched the red snapper catch shrink and wanted a voice in Tallahassee and Washington.
Commercial fishing has a powerful lobby. Recreational anglers need one too.
- Ending longlining in the Gulf
- Rigs to Reefs: Keeping retired oil and gas platforms as habitat instead of imploding them
- Hatchery partnership: More than 500,000 redfish released into Florida estuaries
