Are Sunken Warships Biodiversity Havens for Corals?

Very large sunken warships can serve as significant biodiversity havens for corals, supporting a broad genetic diversity comparable to that found on neighboring natural reefs. A study conducted at Bikini Atoll and Chuuk Lagoon surveyed 29 sunken warships, identifying 34 coral genera at Bikini (67% of local natural reef diversity) and 51 at Chuuk (72%). Ship length emerged as a key predictor of coral abundance and richness, while water depth did not show a significant correlation. These findings suggest that large artificial reefs, such as sunken ships, could play a crucial role in protecting coral biodiversity from the impacts of warming surface waters, potentially aiding in the geographic migration of corals to more habitable conditions.

Asner, G. P., Giardina, S. F., Balzotti, C., Drury, C., Hopson, S., & Martin, R. E. (2022). Are Sunken Warships Biodiversity Havens for Corals? Diversity, 14(2), 139. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14020139