I agree, iv been seeing more activity helping the reef grow back to their initial state! Wonderful
Other Destin-Fort Walton Beach Wants to be Dive Capital of Florida
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Okaloosa County Commissioners unanimously approved a $2.95 million contract amendment Tuesday to complete the remediation and deployment of the SS United States as the world’s largest artificial reef, with officials emphasizing that partner contributions totaling more than $4 million will offset the additional costs. No additional Okaloosa County funds proposed in this amendment.
Alex Fogg, the county’s Natural Resources Chief, presented a detailed project update before requesting the funding increase, outlining both the progress made and the challenges encountered in preparing the 990-foot historic ocean liner for its new life in the Gulf.
Fogg explained that approximately $2.2 million of the $2.95 million request stems from unexpected but necessary overruns when planning to depart Philadelphia, with the remainder covering additional needs to reach the finish line, including dockage through June 1 and contingency funds.
The vessel, which still holds the transatlantic speed record more than 70 years after its maiden voyage, is currently docked in Mobile, Alabama, undergoing final remediation following a 1,600-mile tow from Philadelphia that took approximately 12 days.
Fogg provided a comprehensive project update, addressing public concerns while securing final funding for the project.
Remediation is over 90% complete, with all 120 fuel tanks emptied and cleaned and 99% of PCB-containing materials removed.
The ship's iconic funnels, radar mast and five-blade propeller have been removed and stored for the future land-based museum.
Deployment is targeted for late February 2026, with 30-day contingency windows built in for weather.
The EPA has made two site visits and expressed satisfaction with remediation work.
Fogg addressed concerns about zinc chromate and hexavalent chromium, noting regulatory agencies have not raised concerns.
The project has generated $184 million in earned media value since November 2024.
Research partnerships established with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Louisiana State University for 10-year monitoring.
The SS United States Conservancy chose Okaloosa County over a higher offer to scrap the vessel.
Alex Fogg, the county’s Natural Resources Chief, presented a detailed project update before requesting the funding increase, outlining both the progress made and the challenges encountered in preparing the 990-foot historic ocean liner for its new life in the Gulf.
Fogg explained that approximately $2.2 million of the $2.95 million request stems from unexpected but necessary overruns when planning to depart Philadelphia, with the remainder covering additional needs to reach the finish line, including dockage through June 1 and contingency funds.
The vessel, which still holds the transatlantic speed record more than 70 years after its maiden voyage, is currently docked in Mobile, Alabama, undergoing final remediation following a 1,600-mile tow from Philadelphia that took approximately 12 days.
Fogg provided a comprehensive project update, addressing public concerns while securing final funding for the project.
Remediation is over 90% complete, with all 120 fuel tanks emptied and cleaned and 99% of PCB-containing materials removed.
The ship's iconic funnels, radar mast and five-blade propeller have been removed and stored for the future land-based museum.
Deployment is targeted for late February 2026, with 30-day contingency windows built in for weather.
The EPA has made two site visits and expressed satisfaction with remediation work.
Fogg addressed concerns about zinc chromate and hexavalent chromium, noting regulatory agencies have not raised concerns.
The project has generated $184 million in earned media value since November 2024.
Research partnerships established with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Louisiana State University for 10-year monitoring.
The SS United States Conservancy chose Okaloosa County over a higher offer to scrap the vessel.
Okaloosa County is one step closer to sinking the SS United States off the coast of Destin after a procedural vote passed the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday.
Despite the Army Corps of Engineers’ finding that sinking the National Register-listed vessel will have an “adverse effect,” a Memorandum of Agreement was approved on April 21 at the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Meeting. The agreement permits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida State Historic Preservation Office, and Okaloosa County to proceed under Federal law.
The Commissioners’ votes allowed the SS United States artificial reef project to clear one of the last hurdles between the Okaloosa Tourism Department’s vision and reality – the Army Corps of Engineers’ Section 106 Review. The review, required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, allows critique and public comment on proposals that involve the federal government and historic land, objects, buildings, or other cultural heritage places.
“The 15-day comment period is technically over as it started the day the Army Corps sent out the notice, which was April 7. The MOA was approved, as you know, by the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners [Tuesday, April 21],” said Nick Tomecek, Okaloosa County’s Public Information Officer. “So that is a great next step in the deployment of the vessel. We still need to submit our report to the EPA for final approval, and then we will take the next steps in the planning process for deployment.”
What Happens Now
Before sinking takes place, Okaloosa County has agreed to 3D scans and photos, as well as documentation of the parts removed. The County or its representatives will also survey the ocean floor. Once in the water, the SSUS will be studied, mapped, and preserved.
After sinking, the County will create a 3D dive model. Think of it as Google Street View for shipwrecks. The agreement also includes an effort to maintain the vessel’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Keeping the ship on the register may be tricky, however, because the SSUS is no longer a functioning ship and is physically altered – changes that may make it lose that designation going forward. To maintain the ship’s registration, the County will have to submit new documentation demonstrating that the vessel still has historical significance, even as a shipwreck.
The agreement also requires a two-year scientific study of the wreck by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, along with detailed mapping and ongoing monitoring to track how the vessel changes and functions as an artificial reef.
Tourism and Economic Impact
The SSUS Artificial Reef Project is expected to serve as a marine habitat and a major boost to tourism for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area.
Okaloosa County officials say they will back the project with up to $1 million to create exhibits, attractions, and educational experiences for visitors, while preserving artifacts and bringing the story of the SS United States to the public.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., has come to the table agreeing to a sponsorship with Okaloosa County tied directly into the reefing project and related tourism/fisheries programs.
Final Voyage
With the conclusion of the Section 106 Review, the SS United States’ final voyage is about to begin. If the EPA review is approved, planning for the ship’s trip to her final resting place will begin.
Despite the Army Corps of Engineers’ finding that sinking the National Register-listed vessel will have an “adverse effect,” a Memorandum of Agreement was approved on April 21 at the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Meeting. The agreement permits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida State Historic Preservation Office, and Okaloosa County to proceed under Federal law.
The Commissioners’ votes allowed the SS United States artificial reef project to clear one of the last hurdles between the Okaloosa Tourism Department’s vision and reality – the Army Corps of Engineers’ Section 106 Review. The review, required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, allows critique and public comment on proposals that involve the federal government and historic land, objects, buildings, or other cultural heritage places.
“The 15-day comment period is technically over as it started the day the Army Corps sent out the notice, which was April 7. The MOA was approved, as you know, by the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners [Tuesday, April 21],” said Nick Tomecek, Okaloosa County’s Public Information Officer. “So that is a great next step in the deployment of the vessel. We still need to submit our report to the EPA for final approval, and then we will take the next steps in the planning process for deployment.”
What Happens Now
Before sinking takes place, Okaloosa County has agreed to 3D scans and photos, as well as documentation of the parts removed. The County or its representatives will also survey the ocean floor. Once in the water, the SSUS will be studied, mapped, and preserved.
After sinking, the County will create a 3D dive model. Think of it as Google Street View for shipwrecks. The agreement also includes an effort to maintain the vessel’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Keeping the ship on the register may be tricky, however, because the SSUS is no longer a functioning ship and is physically altered – changes that may make it lose that designation going forward. To maintain the ship’s registration, the County will have to submit new documentation demonstrating that the vessel still has historical significance, even as a shipwreck.
The agreement also requires a two-year scientific study of the wreck by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, along with detailed mapping and ongoing monitoring to track how the vessel changes and functions as an artificial reef.
Tourism and Economic Impact
The SSUS Artificial Reef Project is expected to serve as a marine habitat and a major boost to tourism for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area.
Okaloosa County officials say they will back the project with up to $1 million to create exhibits, attractions, and educational experiences for visitors, while preserving artifacts and bringing the story of the SS United States to the public.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., has come to the table agreeing to a sponsorship with Okaloosa County tied directly into the reefing project and related tourism/fisheries programs.
Final Voyage
With the conclusion of the Section 106 Review, the SS United States’ final voyage is about to begin. If the EPA review is approved, planning for the ship’s trip to her final resting place will begin.
Okaloosa County has placed 48 large vessels in the Gulf since the 1970s, part of nearly 600 existing artificial reefs in the region. 3D imaging of the county’s large-vessel reefs is available here.
A 224-foot vessel Okaloosa County purchased last summer for its artificial reef program will be deployed this fall as the Sposit Reef, with Panama City Beach now sharing the cost and the Coastal Conservation Association covering the tow.
The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, June 16, approved an agreement with the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau to split the $450,000 cost of the MV Henry Alex equally, with each partner contributing $225,000. The county originally approved the single-source purchase in August 2025 through Tri-Native Contractors.
CCA Florida will provide an additional $60,000 to cover towing and deployment. All funding comes from tourism development tax revenue and partner contributions.
The proposed deployment site sits in about 120 feet of water at 30° 05.831’N, -86° 17.749’W, 22 nautical miles from the Destin East Pass and 28 nautical miles from the Panama City Pass. Deployment is expected in the fall of 2026.
The arrangement extends a working relationship between Okaloosa County’s tourism department (Destin-Fort Walton Beach) and the Panama City Beach CVB that previously produced the deployment of the 239-foot Deep STIM III in 2023.
“The marine life that benefits from these artificial reefs does not see borders,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. “We are pleased to be working again with our neighbors in Panama City Beach on this effort as a showing of how the power of partnerships can create something worthy for our residents, visitors and the environment.”
Erin Graham, Coastal Resources Manager for the Panama City Beach CVB, said the deployment expands habitat while opening new ground for recreation.
“This project is another example of how strong partnerships can create lasting benefits for our Gulf,” Graham said. “By working alongside Okaloosa County and CCA Florida, we are expanding critical habitat for marine life while creating new opportunities for anglers and divers to experience the incredible resources our waters have to offer.”
The reef takes its name from the late Rebecca Sposit, human resources director at CCA’s national office. CCA Florida has partnered with Okaloosa County on artificial reef deployments, invasive lionfish removal, habitat restoration, redfish release initiatives and the ongoing SS UNITED STATES artificial reef project.
“Rebecca Sposit did so much for marine conservation through her role at CCA, in ways the public could never see,” said Pat Murray, CCA’s national president and CEO. “She was a beloved part of CCA and this reef is a lasting testament to her impact on the organization and the marine environment.”
CCA Florida Executive Director Brian Gorski said the deployment honors a colleague while advancing the group’s conservation mission.
“Rebecca was a valued colleague and dear friend to many throughout the CCA family, and she is missed dearly,” Gorski said. “The Sposit Reef deployment serves as a lasting tribute to Rebecca’s life and legacy while reflecting our ongoing commitment to the conservation and enhancement of Florida’s marine resources and coastal ecosystems. We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our partners on initiatives that strengthen marine biodiversity, expand critical habitat for fish and other marine species, and support economically important local industries, including recreational fishing and diving.”